Ask, seek, knock

Someone sent me an interesting book lately – ‘Where is God in a Coronavirus World’ by John Lennox. I was a bit cynical when I first received it: Was this just an opportunistic way for a struggling author to make a bit of money? And what a silly title – how could we ever be satisfied with any answer to the question of why God would allow suffering on such a scale in our world? I found the very idea of seeking reasons or explanations, while people were dying and families suffering and livelihoods were being lost across the globe, to be inappropriate, even repugnant.

Yet as I’ve thought about it, I’ve come to accept that seeking answers and meaning is the most natural thing for humans. Last Friday we celebrated VE Day and, as we listened to the stories of camaraderie and bravery in the most difficult of circumstances, it became clear again that people have a remarkable ability – an innate drive – to seek and find meaning and order and sense amongst chaos. The indiscriminate suffering caused by the coronavirus seems to support Richard Dawkins’ view that “the universe … has no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference”. Yet there is an even stronger energy within humans that pushes us towards finding order and connections from the chaos of life and we’ve seen evidence of this, too, in recent weeks.

We don’t understand the coronavirus yet; the science behind it or how to fully answer the questions it poses us about our sense of purpose, meaning and community. And I’ve not started to read the book yet – I can’t actually tell you whether it’s any good or provides any kind of satisfactory answers – but I have at least made peace with the idea that asking questions, seeking truth, trying to find meaning is a healthy thing to do. I've made peace with the encouragement that Jesus gave us 2000 years ago: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)

Prayer

Father God, help us to seek you out during this time of chaos and suffering. You are a God who loves and a God who listens. Help us to remain in your peace. When we have questions Lord, may they help us to grow closer to you, knowing that you have all of the answers and our trust should rest in you. Amen

Challenge

Write down three 'big questions' you would like to know the answer to. Ask God to be with you in the search for these answers and to give you peace when pondering them. 

Written by Derek Hobbs

Principal of Nottingham Emmanuel School