Written by Scott B. Hayashi
Psalm 38:1-3a (NRSV) O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger; do not punish me in your wrath. For your arrows have already pierced me, and your hand presses hard upon me. There is no health in my flesh, because of your indignation.
I was a patient in a hospital. In the bed next to mine was Cecil. He attended a large nondenominational church. I knew him, as I had attended worship there a number of times. I asked him how he was doing. He said, “I’m not doing very well.” I asked him if he wanted to tell me more. He responded, “I can’t understand why God would do this to me. What did I do to get so sick?”
Many people have a need and desire to know why events happen. They believe that there must be an ultimate cause for things—especially the bad things that happen. It is easy to believe we are either being punished or tested by hard times.
You might say to a person who believes this, “I don’t believe that God makes people sick to discipline them or test them. But it sure can feel that way. Why don’t we talk about it together?”
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