Earth's Time

August, 24th. It's about 2:30 a.m. and you are asleep. The earth shakes, and a building comes down on you. You die of natural causes but not the usual kind. You die because of contingency. So, where was God?

We say God is omniscient. So, did He knew this earthquake in Italy was about to happen? If He did, and did nothing about it, what kind of omnipotent God is this? Or, could He have done, but "allowed" this to happen, isn't this a monstrous God?

Where was God?

I believe in a God that created a world free to create itself. Freedom allows atheism to be light in my Christian path. Freedom in Creation is also the price God pays in omniscience and omnipotence. Meaning He took the risk of not knowing and being unable to do something about it, for us to experience true freedom. We humans precious so much our freedom that in painful times like this, we wish God was manipulative and messed up Earth's time to save everyone from everything.

God's omniscience is to know everything possible to know. Something we'll always be far from. God's omnipotence is in the power of love. And the ultimate act of love when someone dies in a natural disaster is to die with him. God is with us.

When we say 300 died in that earthquake, God experienced death 300 times, pain with a 1000 more that made it alive, but wounded. And suffered 10,000 times more with all those who suffered the loss of loved ones.

Life is a mystery. And death is part of life, along with pain and suffering. It comes with the world's finitude. It's the price we pay for freedom. But we are called to overcome this finitude, which is why we crave for the infinite and eternity.

It is difficult, and painful, to deal with contingent events such as this, where we can do nothing about the disastrous outcome. We feel impotent. Weak. It's out of our ability to control.

So, what can we do? We suffer with others, generate ways of solidarity, and help in every way we can. We pray and ask God the strength to endure, the wisdom to understand, and the hope to find whatever sense and meaning these events have in our life.

The Gospel says we never know the day and time. That means we should live our life to the fullness. If we are relational beings, all is left is the relational legacy.

Are you angry with someone? Did someone hurt you? Have you hurt someone? Do you have something trapped inside someone needs to hear?

The Earth time is a constant reminder to forgive-and-forget, love-and-be-loved, hope-and-give-hope.

The fullness of life is not in the past, nor the future, but in the present. "All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you" (Gandalf). Why?

Tic... tac... tic... tac...