When bad things happen

Some one once asked "why does God let bad things happen to good people?" I think the answer is in three parts. The first two are integrally tied to free will.

The greatest gift God gave us is free will. We can choose to live a life according to His plan, or we can choose not to. Either way, our choices have consequences. When we choose to go astray, things happen - sometimes bad things. God won't save us from the consequences of our choices...in some way, that would negate our free will in the first place. (If I knew there would be no consequences to my actions, I may be more prone to choose a certain action I would otherwise avoid.) So, one reason God allows bad things to happen is because we chose actions that lead to those bad things.

Other times, though, other people choose actions that affect us. A robber steals from a bank that we have money in. Someone nearby smokes a cigarette and we inhale the smoke. A grocery store clerk doesn't disclose the presence of nuts in a cookie given to someone with a nut allergy. Here, there are innocent victims...but they are victims of someone else's free choice. Why does God let that happen?

Same reason: interference with the consequences of their choices will interfere with their - and our - free will. But also because we are an interdependent society; no man (or woman) is an island. We live, work, and play together; we interact. If God protected us from others choices, we wouldn't be fully integrated; fully interdependent. We wouldn't be a community.

The third reason, though, seems toughest to explain: when bad things happen that aren't the result of choice. I tend to think of these things one one of two categories: weather (tsunami, drought, tornado, etc.) or medical (cancer, aneurism, stroke, etc). There could be others, I'm certainly no expert in bad things. Regardless, there are things that no one "chooses" to have in their life. Why does God let these things happen?

I believe it's to allow us to see a miracle. Succinctly put, a miracle is a glimpse of God's power. Sometimes, the glimpse is great: Moses parting the sea, St. Peter's shadow healing the sick, a nun being cured of Parkinson's after praying to John Paul II for intercession with God.

But other times, God's miracle is a whisper in your ear to call a friend in need. It's the motivation and bravery to compliment a stranger who may need encouragement. The strength to help someone when you didn't think you had anything left.

God doesn't interfere with our choices, and doesn't save us from the consequences of them. But, He does encourage us to help those hurting or otherwise in need. He wants us to give glimpses of His power to the world - for us to be His miracles. He uses His power to ask us to use ours.