Or is it sheer sentimentality
Submitted by Forgiven on June 14 2000 15:56:58
In reply to That's my Child submitted by Dunston on June 12 2000 13:04:03
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Yes it is a cute story - one can get enthused by it. But I'm not sure that this makes it a helpful story; rather I believe that it is likely to encourage us to cling to an image of God that is inaccurate, and so idolatous. Let's try and interpret what it is saying and see if it is an accurate reflection of the God of the Bible. The defeats can be seen as either defeats by sin or being the recipient of suffering 1) If defeats by sin, then the response of the Father is sub-Christian; the word to the woman taken in adultery is 'Go and sin no more' - not 'It doesn't matter'. We are told that we will not be tempted beyond our strength (I Cor 10 v 13). The claim that 'Satan made me do it' - that I was defeated by overwhelming odds is - is not consistent with the picture of God revealed in the bible. Unfortunately it is a claim that we like to make - it makes us feel better...... 2) If the concept is one of suffering, then again the idea that the Father is unable to do anything about it wildly sub Christian; our God is the almighty God - who can heal and bring an end to suffering if He so chooses. Instead He may permit it for some reason of his own, but the image of God bound by 'the rules of the game' is an implicit denial of the effect of the cross in releasing God from those rules. Similarly this image encourages an attitude to suffering of 'grin and bear it because God loves you' rather than challenging God to reveal why He is allowing me to suffer at this time - so that I can get on with my life! Yes it's cute - but it isn't of the God I worship. The only element I can relate to is the Father gets his suit muddy. In that we have an elegant image of the reality of the incarnation - God does become man - take on human flesh - get his hands, and clothes, dirty! So it's not all bad - but there's a lot wrong :-( |
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