Sometimes, I have the most random thoughts, and the other day was no exception. Out of nowhere, I started wondering how I would answer someone who refused to believe in God because of evil in the world.
The thought probably isn’t as random as the place where the thought occurred to me: I was running on a treadmill. Apparently, treadmills are the proof that evil exists in the world. And all the runners in the house said, “Amen!”
Let me ask you how you would respond? It seems like such an overwhelming argument against God’s existence, doesn’t it? In fact, it’s the number one reason people choose to be an atheist (side not, I don’t think atheism is possible because the one who doesn’t believe in God ends up being their own god) or an agnostic. It’s an intimidating objection, and one that most followers of Jesus feel very unqualified to answer.
At that moment on the treadmill, I decided that the next time someone asks me to explain how an all-good and all-powerful God could exist and allow evil to occur in the world, I’m going to tell them that I have the answer, but I’ll only tell them after they pay off all my debt.
More than likely, they’ll object to that because I still have a balance on my house and a car, and they might not have the means to pay those off. So, I’d offer a smaller debt, maybe $300 or $400 worth of debt that I ran up with stupid purchases on my credit card.
My guess is that they would refuse again, and probably say something wise and adult sounding like, “You need to take responsibility for YOUR debt.”
If you’re tracking with me, then you know what I’d ask them next. First, I’d ask them if they thought they were good? Most people do. But if they can’t understand how a good God could allow evil to exist, then I would ask them how they could think they were good if they allowed my evil debt to exist?
Maybe, like they say about God, He really is good, but He isn’t all-powerful, and so He really can’t do anything about evil in the world. Then I would ask them if they had the resources to wipe out my stupid debt, and while they would probably want to say no, most people can find what they need to tackle a couple of hundred dollars worth of payments over a few months.
Not only can a God who is good, loving, and powerful exist in a world where evil happens, He actually did pay our debt through the death of His Son on the cross to cover the sinful mess that we made.
Sure, my treadmill conversation with an imaginary person wasn’t real, but the hope that we have in the goodness of God is. And I’ll tell anyone about it anytime, anywhere, and I won’t even make them pay off my credit card.
