Baby Joao's death

Joao died today.

I don’t understand why a child is born to suffer, only to die 9 months later. I don’t understand why his father has been allowed to experience the loss of his wife and child while the same virus that murdered his family  pulsates through his own body. I do not understand why people go hungry while others kill themselves by overeating. I do not understand why bad things happen to good people.  I don’t understand why so much grace has been abundantly poured out on me while others suffer. As you can see, there is much that I do not understand about this fallen world. 

Baby Joao a few weeks before he passed

There is evil, this I do know. I also know that despite this evil God is still good and loving. God sent his son because of his great love. He cares about his children so much so that he provided the ultimate sin offering, his son.  Through this we have the promise of eternal life, free from suffering.  One day all will be made right, babies will not die of AIDS, mothers will not worry about what they will feed their children and fathers will not mourn.  Until then we have a task, to make this great outpouring of love known. To care for the orphan and widow, to feed the hungry and uplift the downhearted. This is our responsibility as believers, we are the hands of feet of God.

There is a reason God has allowed me to experience what I have here. His extreme love and compassion for these people is evident through the people he has brought here to serve them. These believers have said yes to the call of Christ, to deny themselves, pick up their cross, and follow after him.  So where is everyone else? Where is the church? Christ’s bride has become complacent, self-consumed, lazy, and apathetic to the cries of the poor. She needs to be awakened.

What could be accomplished if the bride of Christ would grasp her lover’s deep compassion for the poor?