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Writer's pictureRev. James Trapp

Is God Good? – What About the Maui Wildfires?


You’ve likely heard the statement: “God is Good all the time. And all the time, God is Good.” People have challenged me about the accuracy of that statement. Critics admonish adherents of that affirmation. Such criticism is particularly acute when we witness events like the recent wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, where at last count 114 people perished, and over 1,000 people are missing.


The skeptics will say, "How can you say God is good or that we live in a friendly Universe? You New Thought people don’t know what you're talking about." (Of course, such thinking is not new. It’s just new to those who have been in an old way of being. It’s been around for thousands of years. But that’s a story for another day).


Critics will say in substance, "You are living in a fantasy land. You think you can be happy all the time. You don’t know what life’s about.” In the material world, things change. There are ups and downs in the human experience. There are setbacks and tragedies. Our plans don’t always come about the way we intend them, or events happen that we don’t like that break our hearts wide open. We know that.


Here’s the thing. We don’t say God is good when the facts of life are not to our liking. Instead, we have a deep and abiding understanding that God is good because God is changeless. It is this changeless presence that is good, and no power can stop or alter that truth.


So, we don’t deny the facts when there are human tragedies like the wildfires in Hawaii or events happen that are detrimental or harmful to us. We deny that they have the ultimate say-so or can keep us down. In such instances, we are practicing Positive Denial. With Positive Denial, we deny that the circumstances have the final word, and it is the presence, power, and love of God that has the final say.


We realize that all things are possible with God - or, more accurately, with God-consciousness. We don't tell God how big our problems are. Instead, we tell our problems how big and all-powerful God is. Indeed, God has the answer to any seeming problem the moment the problem occurs. But we don't just put all the responsibility on this presence we call God. The all-knowing, omni-active presence can only do for us what we allow it to do through us.


When tragic events like Maui wildfires happen, we know that love in action is the antidote and the solution. It starts doing what we can with what we have – we can hold prayer or send money to the Maui Strong Fund (or a similar reputable organization) to comfort family and friends of the loved ones who perished or are still unaccounted for. We can ask, "How can we turn this tragedy from a tombstone to a stepping stone for the greater good?"


We do what we can from a compassionate space and turn the rest over to the Spirit of the Living God. As we do our part, we fill the world with light. If we don't, darkness sets in. We have access to the ultimate power; let it use us. When we do, we understand what it means to say, "God is good all the time."


Peace and Blessings,

James

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