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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
"God Was In The Pasta"
October 23, 2008
I sat there eating my pasta with Shawn and Tim and couldn't help but be
amazed at the number of people who were coming through the door. The
line into the kitchen at Teacher's Memorial Middle School was out the door
and more people were filing in every few minutes. The pasta was great. It
had been cooked and served by members of the Norwich Police
Department and their spouses.
A little bit later I saw Greg McDonald making his way through the crowd.
You could tell he was a little bit overwhelmed. All these people, those
working and those eating, had come to show their love and support for him
and his wife, Jennifer. As a matter of fact, there were a lot of people who
didn't even know him, including me, who came along to the Spaghetti
Supper fundraiser simply to stand with this couple in their time of need.
A lot of people ask, "Where is God?" when disaster strikes. We asked it on
September 11th when thousands of innocent lives were lost in the terrorist
attacks. We asked it when the Tsunami Struck and killed tens of thousands
in southeast Asia. We asked it when Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast and
sent people fleeing for their lives. Most of us have this idea that if God is
good then He will prevent these horrible things from happening.
The question leaps to another level when disaster hits close to home. When
we get the word that it's a tumor, like Jennifer McDonald did last month,
we look to God and ask, "Why did you let this happen to me?" God is
supposed to be our friend. God is supposed to love and care for us. So we
wonder how that can be true when we go through these terrible ordeals.
We are not the first one to ask these questions and we won't be the last. A
man named Job asked where God was when he lost everything. We read
his story in the Bible. His friends came to console him and they tried to
defend God by making Job the source of his own problems. They told him
he must have brought these problems on himself. They told him that he was
only getting what he deserved. How many of us have heard sentiments like
this when we were going through a difficult time? Job rejected their words.
The truth is that "sometimes bad things happen to good people" as Rabbi
Harold Kushner pointed out in his book. We live in a fallen world with
imperfect people. Yet the good news is that God cares and he shows it by
coming to us in the midst of our tragedy. He doesn't come in a mighty wind
or a tower of fire. He often comes with a human face.
Last Friday night I saw God. He was there amidst the pasta. You could see
him in every person who came through the line at Teacher's Memorial. With
every hand shake, every donation, every hug, God was saying to Greg and
Jennifer that he knows their pain and he will walk with them. Thank God
for their friends and this loving community. Because of them, the hard road
that the McDonalds are walking today will be a little easier to travel. God
has shown them that they will not have to go it alone. He will be with them.
Praise God.
God bless! See you in Church. Cal
October 23, 2008
I sat there eating my pasta with Shawn and Tim and couldn't help but be
amazed at the number of people who were coming through the door. The
line into the kitchen at Teacher's Memorial Middle School was out the door
and more people were filing in every few minutes. The pasta was great. It
had been cooked and served by members of the Norwich Police
Department and their spouses.
A little bit later I saw Greg McDonald making his way through the crowd.
You could tell he was a little bit overwhelmed. All these people, those
working and those eating, had come to show their love and support for him
and his wife, Jennifer. As a matter of fact, there were a lot of people who
didn't even know him, including me, who came along to the Spaghetti
Supper fundraiser simply to stand with this couple in their time of need.
A lot of people ask, "Where is God?" when disaster strikes. We asked it on
September 11th when thousands of innocent lives were lost in the terrorist
attacks. We asked it when the Tsunami Struck and killed tens of thousands
in southeast Asia. We asked it when Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast and
sent people fleeing for their lives. Most of us have this idea that if God is
good then He will prevent these horrible things from happening.
The question leaps to another level when disaster hits close to home. When
we get the word that it's a tumor, like Jennifer McDonald did last month,
we look to God and ask, "Why did you let this happen to me?" God is
supposed to be our friend. God is supposed to love and care for us. So we
wonder how that can be true when we go through these terrible ordeals.
We are not the first one to ask these questions and we won't be the last. A
man named Job asked where God was when he lost everything. We read
his story in the Bible. His friends came to console him and they tried to
defend God by making Job the source of his own problems. They told him
he must have brought these problems on himself. They told him that he was
only getting what he deserved. How many of us have heard sentiments like
this when we were going through a difficult time? Job rejected their words.
The truth is that "sometimes bad things happen to good people" as Rabbi
Harold Kushner pointed out in his book. We live in a fallen world with
imperfect people. Yet the good news is that God cares and he shows it by
coming to us in the midst of our tragedy. He doesn't come in a mighty wind
or a tower of fire. He often comes with a human face.
Last Friday night I saw God. He was there amidst the pasta. You could see
him in every person who came through the line at Teacher's Memorial. With
every hand shake, every donation, every hug, God was saying to Greg and
Jennifer that he knows their pain and he will walk with them. Thank God
for their friends and this loving community. Because of them, the hard road
that the McDonalds are walking today will be a little easier to travel. God
has shown them that they will not have to go it alone. He will be with them.
Praise God.
God bless! See you in Church. Cal
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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