"God At War"

When I started this blog, I honestly didn't know exactly what I was going to write about, I just knew I needed to start writing. This new journey or verbalizing where I am at, has turned into a renewed love for learning, studying, and expression. There is a sense of vulnerability that comes with putting your thoughts and ideas out there, and even though it can be terrifying to be so open, there is also a huge amount of freedom as well. I mention that because I feel like there is a desire among my generation, especially -though not limited to just my generation- for authenticity and transparency in this search to know God. Whether that is through our leaders, or friendships, I truly believe we are searching for real people, who aren't afraid to take on the "tough" with grace, and face the uncertainties with unity, not an attitude of superiority. I personally don't want those who I am learning from, and talking with about these massive questions of faith, to give me the sense that they have it all figured out, like they are telling me how it should be done. I want to hear that they are on a journey as well, and have things that confuse the hell of them too. If I in anyway, have a voice that is heard and listened to, even on the smallest platform, I hope to display all the characteristics I mentioned above. If I don't, I have no right to be listened to. Let's just admit, that there are some really complex issues that Christians are faced with, and the pat answers can't give the kind of authenticity and depth that this generation is looking for. And let's explore these seemingly impossible questions, together, with kindness, grace, and love.

I say all of that above, because what I wanted to write about today, is complicated and begs lots of questions for me. So, here we go....


I am a verbal processor and put my thoughts together by expressing them. I was explaining to my dad all of these things that are going on in my mind and in my faith, and as we were talking, he recommended a book for me to read. After searching through five huge boxes of books at my parents' house, I finally found "God At War," by Greg Boyd. I began reading it last night, and just in the first twenty one pages, my mind is spinning. I have been trying to make sense of this idea of free will, the problem with evil, and this all loving God. Boyd address all of those in this book, and communicates it in ways that make sense to someone who isn't a "specialist," as he puts it. I wanted to share what I read in the first twenty one pages, because I am trying to wrap my head around it... and I just like sharing what I am learning :).

This book is about the problem of evil and how we have defined God' role in it -that's very general. Greg Boyd begins the book with the story in Daniel 10, that Daniel has fasted and prayed for three weeks and at the end of those three weeks, an angel came to him and said that God had heard his prayers, and would have answered sooner, but the "prince of persia" had delayed the response in getting to Daniel. That story sets the stage for Boyd to then go through a number of other cultures that, not only acknowledge, but put significant importance on the fact that there is a world we can't see that we are deeply affected by. There are spirits, and beings who have free will, like we do, and there is a war between these good and evil forces. This world, and humanity are victims of the casualties of this war that we can't physically see. Boyd explains that "western christianity" is wildly different than these cultures because of the "Age of Enlightenment" Era in the 17-1800's. During that time period, reason, logic, and rational thinking became the way that people starting looking at, and working through things, thus making our need to explain evil, a more rational one, as oppose to supernatural, and separating us from much of the rest of the world. We try to make sense and rationalize things, that may not have an explanation or higher good. A great point was made about that. To quote Boyd...

"If we modern Westerners cannot 'see' what nearly everyone else outside the little oasis of Western rationalism the last several centuries has seen, then perhaps there is something amiss with our way of seeing." 

Wow, that really got me thinking. Because of the Enlightenment period, and our inclination to try to explain and rationalized things, like evil, Boyd explains that we end up theorizing more about evil, then trying to overcome it. We try to explain why things happen, and what God's role in it is, as oppose to really trying to wrap our minds around this idea that we are at war, and casualties happen because of that war, not because of a higher purpose. My mind is absolutely blown! This is EXACTLY what I mentioned in my previous post, before even reading this book! I asked, "Are there things that happen, that just don't have a purpose?" I asserted that yes, there is. Then, bam, I open this book, and it's the first thing that's being talked about. Love it! See this why I hate the phrase, "God is in control" or "God has a plan for why this happened," as a way to explain or rationalize something heinous that has occurred- like the Japanese earthquake and tsumani, like disease, and abuse. There are just some things that are result of this unseen war that is being fought. With this war concept, it allows God to remain loving and true to his character, without being the cause or responsible for evil, for He himself is at war against these strong forces. Putting all of these pieces together, is so eye opening to me. I absolutely love this quote...

"If the world is indeed caught up in the middle of a real war between good and evil forces, evil is to be expected- including evil that serves no higher end. For in any state of war, gratuitous evil is normative. Only when it is assumed that the world is meticulously controlled by an all-loving God does each particular evil need a higher, all-loving explanation."

Yes, of course there are obviously still questions about why God would even create a world where evil would be established or exist, but I have to believe that:

1) I am going to learn a lot more about that through this book and Scripture.

2) We only see but a glimpse of who God is, now. That there are many parts of an infinite God, that our finite minds are not designed or capable of understanding.

This new understand of where evil comes from and how God truly is not responsible for the evil and pain in the world- which I feel deeply about, but couldn't articulate why- makes me realize there is a whole lot more about Jesus coming to this earth and dying, than I have ever imagined. He didn't just come to save us from our sins, though that is a huge part of it, He came for the cosmos, for the universe, He came to battle. Unbelievable. 

 I'm excited to explore this new avenue. I will most certainly post what I am learning as I read and study more. I hope this was interesting to you as well!