“How could a loving God allow this?”

“If God exists, how could he allow this?”

Nonbelievers and those overwhelmed by tragedy often ask some form of the above two questions.

Twice in human history, God answered.

The first was the global flood recorded in Genesis 6 and in cultural stories and artifacts from all over the world. In the Genesis account, God passed judgment on the entire human race. God spared only one man he judged righteous and seven others of his close family. Everyone else in the entire human race died.

Public domain painting by Leon Comerre

The second time God answered the “How could he…?” question, he lifted his Son on a cross. In this judgment, one righteous man died so that the entire human race might be rescued. The only thing God requires of people is to Believe and Receive.

Public domain by Leon Bonnat

Sin is ugly in all its forms, especially to our creator, who is good and who made us good. Yet in answer to our, “How could a loving God…?” question, so many rebel at the choices God gives when he tells us that he does NOT, in fact, allow these things. So many refuse the “believe and receive” option. They might prefer a sliding scale if they judge their own sin to be nonexistent or quite small. I don’t have an answer for your heart, only my own. But knowing my own deep, dark secrets and all the acts I’ve ever done or left undone, I prefer God’s second option. Knowing Jesus is not that bad. He’s far, far better than God the judge, and he takes good care of his own. It’s your call. Each of us chooses for ourselves.