All of us had wandered off like sheep;
each of us had strayed off on his own path,
but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him. (Isaiah 53:6)
My two-year-old granddaughter, Olivia, had a fifty percent chance of survival. She had failed kidneys, collapsed lungs, a viral infection, and I was part of the problem. Tubes and wires ran into her nose and mouth while others pierced her soft skin. Without the machines, she’d already be in heaven, and I’d be guilty of sending her there.
It’s tempting to look around for the culprit responsible for Olivia’s illness. Was it her negligent birth mother? some genetic mutation? or germs from the public sector? Somebody has to own the blame.
A hospitalized toddler was not part of God’s will. His creation was perfect, an expression of his passion for beauty. Adam and Eve, the garden, the seas, animals, and stars were part of a masterful harmonizing plan. From before time, God saw Olivia without a tear or struggle. Between creation and Olivia’s birth, what happened to God’s plan?
Sin happened. We are all sinners who downplay the effects of our naughtiness. When sin entered the world, a deafening screech tore across the cosmos. God is blinding perfection, and any human action or thought not in line with him brings a curse into creation. Genesis, Chapter 3, lists the curses triggered by man’s treachery—hostility, pain, broken relationships, and spoiled land. It only takes one sin to unleash random suffering into the universe and we’ve had more than 50 billion people contributing since Eden. The result is mayhem to unsuspecting innocents like Olivia.
I can’t point my finger at anyone because, I too, am guilty. But I don’t despair. Jesus Christ took my guilt onto himself, so that neither Olivia nor I will be punished eternally for my bad choices.
Prayer: Jesus, my God, thank you for the remedy.