"The Lord makes his sun shine on the good and evil alike..." So Jesus himself spoke about the knotty issue of theodicy, a fancy word for the attempt to make sense of the problem of evil. For the atheist, it doesn't matter; if there is no God, then good and evil are relative terms and concepts; both are whatever we want them to be. But for a Christian, the existence of evil is a bit of a problem. How do we account for it if we believe in a good and all-powerful God? The classic argument is, "If God is all powerful, he could prevent evil; if God is good, he would prevent it. Therefore, the existence of evil means God is either not all powerful or he is not good." To foist the matter of evil on the devil doesn't really solve much of anything. If God created everything, he must have created the devil, so the issue lands back in God's lap.
It would take more time and space than I have here to even begin to deal with this matter, but it does cause me to ponder how we know of God's love for us. It would be convenient if we could say that we know God loves us because of the blessings he bestows on us. Blessings certainly make us feel God's love, but if Jesus is to be believed, they don't demonstrate his particular love. He loves everyone, and blesses even the evil, while often the good are recipients of troubles undeserved. If blessings are indication of God's love, are problems indications of his displeasure?
Don't get me wrong. I am deeply appreciative of the blessings I have received. Not a day goes by but what I think of our home, our family, our friends, our country. Time and time again I feel like I should pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. But I've been through a few difficulties, and both the Gospel and my experience assure me that God's love has never left me, even in the darkest of hours.
St. Paul cuts to the heart of the matter when he declares in Romans 5:8 that "God proves his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." That's the only proof God offers, and it's the only proof we need. I am grateful for the many blessings I have received, but they are no measure of the quality of my relationship with God, or even of his love for me. It's God's sacrifice of his Son that demonstrates God's love, and no matter howI feel at a given moment, I am grateful for it.
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