The Will of God

As a Hillbilly, one phrase I grew up hearing very often was "God willing..." While it was not always used seriously, the underlying premise is that everything is the will of God. That gets us into much theological trouble, however comforting it might be. We like to think that God is in control of everything in life. that frees us from trying to understand the results of tragic events and bad decisions.

It also blames God for everything that goes wrong. So, I have to wonder; does the beneficent God who cares for all the creation really cause the death of a young person from a painful disease? Does God also rob children of their parents or cause destruction from tornadoes and hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters?

For some, the answer is "yes; God has a plan..." It is a statement of faith that somehow it will ultimately be OK.

British theologian and Pastor Leslie Weatherhead struggled with this question during WWII. As London was bombed by the Nazi air force and destruction and death were everywhere, his congregation needed solace.

He answered their questions about this war being the will of God through a series of sermons published in a book, The Will of God. His answer to the crisis was that there are three aspects to the will of God.

In brief, he postulates that first there is God's intentional will. That is what God intends for all humanity and creation; happiness.

But because we have free will and live in a "fallen world" that will is thwarted by evil. When that happens, God exercises Conditional Will; bringing the best out of human beings to bring out the best outcome in the circumstances.

And finally, God's Ultimate Will, in which all the creation is reconciled, and the original will is accomplished.

While there is human suffering along the way, Weatherhead wanted to point out that God has not abandoned creation and that God's Love will prevail.

While his theology does not address the evil in the world except through our Free Will to make bad choices and be influenced by selfishness and greed, it does reassure us that we are not abandoned.

His book is readily available and very readable.