One day when I was a teenager, my father bought a book from a local bookstore, handed it to me, and asked me to read it. Back in those days, I didn’t particularly like to read. I still don’t really like to read today. But the title of the book intrigued me: When Bad Things Happen to Good People. I remember I was excited to read and see what the author had to say about the topic.
By the time children are still quite young, they have already seen the reality of bad things happening to good people, and good things happening to bad people in our world. They have already learned that things in life do not always seem fair. Some kids are more popular than others. Some excel in their homework while others flunk. Some kids steal another’s lunch money, and never get caught. Some are quite good kids, but end up getting caught by the teacher each and every time.
Since the beginning of time, people have searched for the reason or reasons why life is not fair. Life ought to be fair. We expect fairness. So when we don’t find fairness in our world, we want to know why terrible things happen to those we love while terrific things happen to you know who. Christians say that bad things happen to good people because God is testing us. Bad things happen to good people because there is sin in their lives. Yet, if we are honest, these explanations often seem incomplete.
Beginning in Ecclesiastes 7:15, Solomon picked up on this centuries-old phenomenon. He saw people who were righteous, but their lives were cut short, and people who were wicked, but they lived for a long time. Isn’t this backwards? If we are honest, we are thinking exactly what Solomon was thinking. Before you come to worship this Sunday, please read ahead Ecclesiastes 7:15–22, and let’s come and think together, and worship together.
Your Friend,
Alvin