This is a little bit related to the fate prompt, I guess.
The first thing that came to mind is this: Why does God allow some terrible people to live such long lives while at the same time allowing the early deaths of some lovely people?
Of course, this is not true in every case; there are some fantastic people who live long lives, and there are some terrible people who die young.
I thought about this when I read “When Breath Becomes Air”. Paul Kalanithi was a brilliant young neurosurgeon with a heart to help people, and he died of cancer in his 30s.
(He was born a year before me, and he died in 2015.)
He could have helped so many people in his lifetime; why is he not still here?
It’s not that I don’t trust that God’s plan is good; it’s that I don’t understand it. To me, it would seem better to keep Paul here and take someone else!
I mean, why am I here instead of Paul? I certainly can’t fix people’s brains.
Why do some abusive men get to live into their 80s, while some children die of cancer?
Why is it that some people who make the world a more terrible place are allowed to live, while some people who could make the world a better place are not?
I don’t know. I trust. But I have questions.
I have so many questions about children and their inexplicable behavior.
Why do children automatically ramp up their noise level when they’re in an already-noisy place like an echo-y gym?
Why do they disrobe for a bath and leave their dirty clothing in a pile literally SIX INCHES from the basket placed there specifically to hold dirty clothing?
Why is getting cold, wet, and muddy so distasteful to adults, but so irresistible to children?
I could go on, but I’ll stop there.
Why can’t I get more done in a day? Why can’t I stay on task? Is it screens?
To your questions, though, I heard an obituary on NPR last night with the quote, “He wants us not to understand so that we will fight against the bad and the injustices of this world. And that is why there is no answer to that question because God has arranged that we shall never have an answer to it.” The guy’s name is Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, and generally, overall, I disagree with his theology. But this is as good as I could do.
I have thought those same questions Kristen. I said I was going to ask God why when I get there but then I realized it won’t matter because all will be perfect.
I have always said that when my time is up and I meet God I have questions. I had a very devoutly religious person tell me once the it was blasphemous. How dare I doubt god or his motives. I kindly remind her that he created me in his image. He knows my curious heart and mind, and he’s made me this way. I think he would expect nothing more than me to come prepared with a litany of questions. I guess we shall have to wait another day to hear the answers 🙂
My questions are much more mundane. Why were mosquitoes created? Why were we not created with bodies that could be sculpted with a knife—want a smaller waist, then shave off the excess? Gained a few pounds and they have chosen your rear as the place to congregate? Shave off the excess weight. Why couldn’t bodies be like soap, so you could shape them as you wished? And finally, why couldn’t we have hair like that kids’ pony toy, where you press a button to make it longer or shorter and it comes in rainbow colors? I do wonder about things like why so many good die young and so many creeps like into their 80s, but on a day to day basis I am more annoyed by mosquitoes, my big butt and my unruly hair.
live into their 80s, not like. Jeepers. I even proof read before posting…
“The first thing that came to mind is this: Why does God allow some terrible people to live such long lives while at the same time allowing the early deaths of some lovely people?”
Maybe because we are all his children and he loves us all and wants us all to be there with him in heaven? He might be just giving more time to bad people in order for them to finally see the “truth” and repent for all the evil they have done. And good people obviously don’t need all that time on Earth and they get to join God sooner.
Just my 2 cents.
I don’t know if people I rate as good statistically die young more often than the bad but good dying young makes me sad and long living bad people irritate me. One scripture that helps me is Ecclesiastes 9:11. Wheather genetics, exposure to toxins, wrong place at wrong time, etc, stuff just happens.