Rep. Mark Alford (R-Missouri) stood before an angry crowd at a town hall meeting and said, “God has a plan” for them. He made this statement in connection to the government’s massive firing spree taking place all over America. During one particularly loud exchange, Mr. Alford arrogantly and condescendingly said, “Let’s have 30 seconds of yelling while I drink a cup of coffee.” This response to the massive strip-mining of tax money that, according to some expert, will save no money, is going on all over the country. Many of those protesting actually voted for this without, it seems, really understanding what was about to happen. From schools to elder care to support of veterans to defense, budgets are being slashed. Interestingly, Mr. Musk’s companies seem to not be impinged in any way by all of this. Curious, that.
But this thought isn’t about money or politics; it’s about the taking of God’s name in vain that comes in the form of “God has a plan”. It has become a trite phrase, used by people of faith from left to right, and it is the most dangerous form of theology in existence. To believe that everything that happens to us is because God cut the string or pushed the button is not Christian at all. It is cruel. It is immature. It is not biblical. And yes – there are a couple of passages in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures that indicate a plan of some kind, but much of this was written after the planned events had already happened. Prophecy isn’t fortune telling, especially when the words are spoken centuries after the fact.
Worst of all, believing that God makes every little thing happen for some far-reaching, indiscernible plan turns God into a tyrant. It also takes away any agency we might have. Free Will turns most events into someone’s or thing’s fault. And while some people love to say that God “took” someone, death is inevitable, regardless of when it happens. Some people are lucky enough to live healthy lives into their 90’s, while others don’t make it out of childhood. Some people choose the way they die, but most of us live the best we can until it is over. There are lots of factors involved, but God’s control of every little detail is not one of them. Of course, I don’t know this for a fact; I am merely extrapolating from a base line that says God is love, not a micromanaging maniac who randomly hurts us for the fun of it. The crowd responding to Rep. Alford agreed, rejecting his flaccid excuse for our government’s cruelty. It isn’t God who is destroying lives. It’s our government. We should hold them responsible. And we should stop blaming God.
Prayer – Holy God – we are sorry for the times we have put the blame on You and not taken responsibility. Help us to grow up. Amen.