Isaac D. Smoak Christian Thought Dr. George Kalantzis 7 March 2013 ns!

ers in the Silence Da"i# $entle% &art !rites in the mi#st o' one o' the most #e"astating e"ents o' the 21st Centur%( an e"ent in !hich nearl% a )uarter million cor*ses !ere le't stre!n across the a'termath. n# the !orl# looke# on in horror( ho*ing to make sense o' that !hich seeme# unsol"a+le. 'ter the tsunami in the In#ian ,cean( theologians( ske*tics( an# atheists cro!#e# the glo+al stage asking the ma-or )uestions that( accor#ing to &art( ha"e +een aske# o' the Christian church 'or centuries. In the mi#st o' all this( &art.s un#erstan#ing o' su''ering an# sin is one o' #ee* signi'icance to a !orl# aching 'or ans!ers. In light o' such su''ering( &art.s The Doors of the Sea re'uses o''er concrete ans!ers to the +urning )uestion o' sin an# su''ering in Go#.s !orl#. &o!e"er( it #oes su**ort a theological 'rame!ork that is 'un#amentall% +ase# on Scri*ture( sim*le in its com*le/it%( an# resoun#ingl% ho*e'ul in #ark times. s I rea# &art.s mo"ing treatise on su''ering I +egan to remem+er !hen I 'irst hear# a+out the tsunami. s a mi##le schooler( I learne# a+out the tsunami at a time !hen m% *arent.s 'aith !as reall% +eginning to +ecome m% o!n. Throughout the ne/t 'e! %ears I remem+er ha"ing se"eral con"ersations concerning the #e"astating occurrence an# its meaning in "ie! o' Go#.s omni*otence an# goo#ness. I remem+er *ushing m% teacher in class to ans!er m% )uestions a+out ho! a goo# Go# coul# cause the #eath o' thousan#s. There !as no ans!er that )uenche# m% thirst 'or ans!ers. Most #istinct in m% memor% is !hen a 'rien# o''ere# an ans!er she ha# hear# 'rom one o' the *arents ho"ering o"er our conser"ati"e Christian school. She sai# she ha# hear# that in *laces like 0a*ua 1e! Guinea an# In#onesia there ha# +een se"eral re*orts o' !itchcra't an# hea"% *ersecution o' Christians. There'ore the tsunami must ha"e come as #i"ine *unishment 'or these countries sins. I remem+er 'eeling #ee*l% angere# +% this e/*lanation. &art a##resses se"eral issues 'oun# in m% e/*erience. 2irst &art conce#es that in light o' such atrocit% as the tsunami there are reall% no !or#s or ans!ers that can cure or sol"e such !oun#s. &o!e"er( this silence is not ne! to humanit%( nor is it ne! to the Christian. &art e/*lains that there !as one similarit% 'oun# among all the "oices a+out the tsunami3 that e"er%one sought to 'in# ans!ers( to make sense o' !hat ha# ha**ene#. &o!e"er( man% o' our 4Christian5 ans!ers are too rea#il% gi"en an# not so rea#il% thought out. s suggeste# +% &art( one o' our generation.s +iggest 'la!s are ho! !e "ie! nature in light o' sin an# su''ering. Mo#ern technolog% has le# us to see the !orl# aroun# us tama+le an# e/otic. 1ot sur*risingl%( !e ascri+e this "ie! o' nature to Go#. 6e see Go# as omni*otent an# thus in constant control o' a *lastic en"ironment. Instea#( &art states( !e must see nature the !a% the 1e! Testament *ortra%s it. Though the !orl# is 'ull o' Go#.s lo"e an# goo#ness 7as !e can easil% see !hen our min#s our o*ene# to a starlit night or a !alk in the 'orest8( the true nature o' the !orl# is also essentiall% 'la!e# an# in nee# o' re#em*tion. This re#em*tion is !hat !e !ait 'or as 'ollo!ers o' Christ( !hen all !ill +e ma#e right. This is !h% !e continuall% long 'or something +etter( +ecause !e !ere create# 'or something +etter an# !e are constantl% a!aiting that trans'ormation until the last #a%. Still( !here #oes the e"il in the !orl# come 'rom an# ho! can it e/ist !ithout Go#.s creation o' it9 :"il( as &art e/*lains( has no s*iritual meaning !ithin itsel'. Instea# it is a t!isting o' goo#( or an a+sence o' goo#. 2or !ithout goo# there !oul# +e no e"il. 6ithout the a+sence o' Go#( the choice a!a% 'rom Go#( there !oul# +e no !a% o' reall% choosing Go#. &art is essentiall% stating that e"il has no su+stance !ithin itsel'( an# thus !as not create# +% Go#( +ut *ermitte# +ecause o' lo"e. This +rings us to another o' &art.s ma-or *oints. &art e/*lains that there is an essential #i''erence +et!een #i"ine !ill an# #i"ine *ermission. lso( !e must remem+er that there is no true

lo"e !ithout choice. &ere I am remin#e# o' the $i+lical stor% o' &osea !here Go# #is*la%s &is lo"e to Israel through the stor% o' a *ro*het !ho marries a *rostitute an# +ring her into his home. Go# comman#s &osea to lo"e this !oman( marr% her( an# make her his !i'e. Still( the !oman has the o*tion to run a!a% an# !hen this o*tion *resents itsel' she returns to her ol# !a%s. ;ight a!a%( Go# comman#s &osea to *ursue her an# 'orgi"e her #es*ite her sin. In this !a%( Go# uses our sin 7the choice a!a% 'rom Go#8 to sho! &is lo"e an#( like &osea( chooses us #es*ite our choice 'or e"il. Go#.s omni*otence #oes not mean that Go# create# e"il or that it is *art o' &is *lan 'or ultimate glori'ication. Instea#( !hile +eing #ee*l% sa##ene# +% human su''ering( &e makes &is !a% to earth an# o''ers a !a% through #eath to trans'ormation an# 'ull li'e in &im. ;ea#ing &art remin#e# me o' a cha*el message I hear recentl%. In this cha*el message( the s*eaker talke# a+out his me#itation on the 0ara+le o' the So!er. 6hile thinking through this *ara+le( the s*eaker sai# he )uickl% realize# that the *ara+le !as not a+out the see# +ut the soil. s his thoughts +ecame #ee*er he ha# a re"elation3 soil is( essentiall%( la%ers an# la%ers o' #eath. The !orl# is ma#e u* o' la%ers an# la%ers o' #eath< this is the nature o' our 'allen !orl#. &o!e"er( in the mi#st o' this #eath or( more *recisel%( through this #eath( =esus Christ hum+l% came to earth as the See# that +rings li'e. Thus in the mi#st o' the la%ers o' #eath !reake# +% the tsunami( the Triune Go# is 'ull% lo"ing( 'ull% *o!er'ul( an# 'ull% a+le to trans'orm e"il into goo#.