Sunday Gospel Comment
Alberic Jacovone OSB
YEAR A FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT - 6.3.05 1 Sam 16,1.6-7.10-13; Eph 5,8-14; Jn 9,1-41 If there’s evil, where is God? Evil,
whose fault is it? Today’s
Gospel reflects on the personal tragedy of a man born blind & we reflect on
the evil of natural catastrophes like the horrific ‘tsunami’. Bluntly, the
disciples asked: ‘who sinned: he or his parents, for him to be born blind?’
to which Jesus replied: ‘neither he nor his parents, but it’s so that
God’s work may be displayed’. So today we ask: when wars or terrorism or
huge disasters occur, whose fault is it? How is God’s work displayed in them?
Can we see in them a premonition & an invitation to be strong in the midst
of conflict & tragedy, to repent & remain faithful? Of course, atheists
challenge us and say: How can we have faith & trust in God, after such
tragedies & calamities? Agreed, when human beings do evil & bring on one
another hatred, wars & terrorism, then it may be argued that it is our fault
& we deserve what we get. Then it is right to be warned & repent &
convert. But how can the same be said in the case of natural tragedies &
calamities? The important question of ‘whose fault is it?’ has been tackled
by many in the past at a philosophical level. However, it’s wiser to be
convinced by the logic of the heart & of faith: in this immense universe,
God loves us, no matter what may go wrong in and around us. As we look around we
feel to be part of God’s creation, and feel blessed even in the midst of
conflicts & divisions... A famous saying of St Augustine (+430AD)said: ‘If there’s evil, where is God & if there is no God, where is goodness from? -Si malum, ubi Deus - si non Deus, unde bonum?. World tragedies & catastrophes force us to see the danger of evil in our lives: we do not think that God sends them as punishment & we know that it’s within God’s power to stop them. We are also certain that God never created this universe imperfectly, as if He didn’t plan or know that the universe he created would be capable of immense disasters. Still, the truth is that God is in charge - we are part of his plan, indeed we are called to do all we can to support, restore & relieve victims & survivors. But since the Tsunami wave has hit us with a disaster of unprecedented magnitude, it’s OK to ask: why? & how can it make sense?... St Augustine gave an answer: Si malum, ubi Deus? = if there’s evil where is God? He outlines a dilemma we all experience, & it’s a contradiction, suggesting that perhaps God does not exist. The dilemma goes like this: If God is all good, he would destroy evil; - & If God is all powerful he could destroy evil; But evil is not destroyed, Hence there is no God. David Hume a famous 18th Century sceptic went further & put malice in God. Turning Augustine’s phrase, he wrote: Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then He is impotent & not all-powerful. Is He able but not willing? Then He is malicious. Is He both able & willing? But where then does evil come from?. Augustine on the contrary had said: Si non Deus, unde bonum = If there is no God where does goodness come from? The answer to all this is hidden in the mystery of freedom, the greatest gift that God has given us. We are free to choose between good & evil, & sadly at times we choose evil. We believe that evil will be destroyed after Judgment Day, but for now God tolerates evil that comes from the misuse of human freedom. In its essence, evil is a negation or absence of good. While goodness is complete fulfilment; badness is spoiled goodness, which denies God & destroys the best in us. To conquer evil, Jesus -through obedience- accepted death on the Cross, & made us free. United with him, we are grateful, as Church united to him, we suffer & atone & pray: deliver us from evil. ______________________________________ |
