Week of April 30, 2006

As the hart panteth after the water brooks,
     so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God:
     when shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my meat day and night,
     while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
Yet the LORD will command his loving-kindness in the daytime,
     and in the night his song shall be with me,
     and my prayer unto the God of my life.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
     And why art thou disquieted within me?
Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him,
     who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
           Psalm 42: 1-3,8,11 (KJV)

A persistent dilemma among believers and skeptics alike is why a loving omnipotent God would permit people to be born with or develop severe disabilities or illnesses, or have to endure woefully inadequate or abusive environments, or meet with devastating accidents or disasters. It is a question that is part of the larger problem of human suffering, which has been debated for millennia. Aside from such philosophical considerations as free will and human destiny, perhaps one explanation for such apparent lack of divine benevolence is the idea that what seem to be handicaps may in fact be blessings, and it is only our limited vision that deems them terrible burdens.

In the animal world disabled individuals often die young, but if they do survive, their handicap may actually be an advantage. For example, scientists recently discovered a species of predatory fly that has dramatically odd-sized and asymmetrically shaped wings, which makes the insect fly around in circles, greatly interferes with its ability to find food, and openly exposes it to predators, quite plainly a disability. Yet it appears that the females actually prefer the ones with the greatest abnormality, thus continuing the disability through the generations. One explanatory theory suggests that the males with the most awkward, inefficient, and ostentatious features are more attractive because they have managed to survive despite their handicap and thus demonstrate vigor, persistence, and resilience, desirable genetic qualities.

People with severe illnesses or disabilities frequently report that their difficulties have actually had a positive impact on their lives, though many may wish they could have learned what they did through some other means. Nevertheless, we grow and thrive through adversity, and while we certainly need not deliberately court it, when it does occur, we can try to reshape our thinking from bemoaning our circumstances to rising to the challenge, knowing we will be the stronger for it: more sensitive, compassionate, and better able to serve. And the divine assistance we are so inclined to seek in the midst of personal catastrophe is always there for the asking, not to take away the circumstances or the pain, but to offer wisdom and comfort in the midst of our suffering. Let us therefore learn to accept our lot as given and strive to live with tenderness and faith, for despite all appearances to the contrary, transformation and new life is always possible. And no matter what may befall us, GodÕs love never fails.

Lord help us to meet the challenges of our lives with grace and equanimity, knowing that your love can make flowers bloom unexpectedly amid the thorns and that in the light of your wisdom and truth, barren ground can be made fertile again. Amen

Contributed by Diane
Sunday April 30, 2006
Week 23 of Liturgical Year B