Part I // Addressing Toxic Theology
So as we jump into this, I think it’s important to think about the “usual” responses one might hear. I’ll give you some time to think about the cliche responses now. Think about what you’ve heard. Think about what those platitudes are actually communicating on a deeper level.
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And we’re back. So hopefully you’ll now see that there is a lot of unpack which prevents it from being a quick answer. So let’s get to it!
You know what’s a big problem? When tragedies get over-spiritualized. When we proclaim God’s grace as being unique to us. When we ignore everyone else and focus only on ourselves. When we willingly accept the condemnation of thousands as the collateral cost of our personal salvation.
Toxic theology might sound motivating and innocent on the surface. Tell me if you’ve heard something like this before:
Everything happens for a reason
God works in mysterious ways
Or rationale that might sound like “I spilled coffee all over my outfit which means I had to go back to my apartment and change. God saved me b/c if it were not for that spilled coffee that caused me to run late, I would have also been killed.”
Let’s set the record straight. The terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 were not organized by God. Those that were running late to work because their alarm clock wasn’t set right, or because of spilled coffee, or because of a sick child - whatever it may be - all those people were NOT singled out by God at the expense of others. This was not a divine blessing from the creator of the universe.
Why not?
Because THOUSANDS of others died tragically. Were the thousands of others just collateral damage then? A loving God, would NOT condemn thousands of lives in order to teach the survivors about God’s divine ways. When we say things like “everything happens for a reason”, or “God works in mysterious ways” as a response to tragedy, what we are really saying is that “God directly orchestrated those tragedies.” That God has a drawing board where God threw two passenger planes filled with people into the World Trade Center and called it “good”.
Isn’t that sadistic? Evil? Vile? Manipulative? Horrible? Disgusting?
Absolutely. 100%.
See how TOXIC that line of thinking is? See how an incomplete, shallow, immature, phrase such as “everything happens for a reason” perpetuates a warped, twisted view of a loving God?
This is NOT the doing of God. No part of that. The attacks, the horror, the deaths, were not part of God’s wrath and judgement. Simultaneously, all those people that would have been in the buildings had it not been for flat tires, spilled coffee, missed alarms, etc., were not the special recipients of God’s grace.
The survivors' guilt that follows is not some blessing from above. The sleepless nights. The constant empty pit in stomachs as the lost lives of co-workers & friends are mourned. None of that is a blessing in disguise. What an awful disguise. No one gives a loved one a special present wrapped in razors, perfumed with sewage and says don’t worry, it’s a really cool present in disguise.
GOD HAD NO PART IN ANY OF THAT.
To believe that God was directly involved goes against everything we know about God through Jesus’ teachings. It’s not good theology. It’s not following Christ. Scripture doesn’t say “For God so loved the world that he killed thousands of people with terrorist attacks”.
So how does God fit into tragedy? Surely God must be involved somehow? Right?
Through grief. Through sorrow. Through hardship. Through the agony and deep pain. During the attacks on 9/11, God wept. Not because American lives were lost… but because lives were lost. Because people were hurting. Because blatantly misguided theology, indoctrination, manipulation, and sin led to people killing thousands of others in the “name of God”.
God fits into this when we come together. When we remember to extend kindness, love, and acceptance to each other. When we muster up all our energy just to get out of bed in wake of something so horrible.
Okay, okay. So you’re saying that evil things happen just because. That bad people choose to do bad things. Does that mean you are saying that God is in fact NOT all powerful? Why wouldn’t God stop people from dying?
Great questions. We’ll jump deeper in the next part. For now let’s reflect on all this.
Questions
What platitudes have you heard or used before in response to tragedy?
Have you thought deeply about the theology of what was being communicated?
Have you or someone else you know been hurt by hearing certain phrases?
If you never experienced or witnessed this, how do you think someone would feel after being told “God works in mysterious ways” as a response to a tragedy?
What could be a better response?