These beautiful autumn days bring to mind Louis Armstrong’s song, “What a Wonderful World”:
I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom, for me and you. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.
And yet, I can’t help thinking about sorrowful stories in the news as well: recent flash floods in Nepal, school collapse in Pakistan, Iran War, attacks on Kiev, deadly shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania…
There is this agonizing dissonance: Which is it—do we live in a wonderful world or a harrowing world? And the answer is, “Yes.” Our life this side of heaven is a glorious yet gut-wrenching mixture of God’s beautiful creation with unspeakable ravages of sin.
God made this world “very good” (Genesis 1:31). And we can and should celebrate his creative genius: The heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). The curse (see Genesis 3:14-19) has not ruined everything—far from it. Psalm 104:24 is our praise song: O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all. The trees still clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12).
And yet, we’re taught to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15); Jesus himself shed tears at the death of a friend (John 11:35). Humanity willfully exalted self and refused to honor or thank God (Romans 1:21), so God “gave them up” to sin’s devastating effects. Yes, death will be destroyed, and it can’t separate us from Jesus (Romans 8:39). But it still wreaks havoc today.
So where does this leave us? God teaches us not to be entitlement-people who resent the risk of suffering, but Jesus-people who are “granted” to suffer for his sake (Phil 1:29) and who love our neighbors in the midst of dark days. Mostly, it leaves us with the charge to be people of hope: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope (Romans 15:13).
