Why Doth Thou Hidest Thy Face?

On this day twelve years ago, four groups of Muslim terrorists boarded American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, American Airlines Flight 77, and United Airlines Flight 93, and, after commandeering each plane, they crashed each plane into the World Trade Center towers in the district of Manhattan, New York City, into the Pentagon of Washington D.C., and in an open field of Shanksville, PA on its way to Washington D.C. As the events of the day unfolded before Americans' eyes on television, fear and horror seized the hearts of men and women of America and the world. People were confronted with the gruesome and heartless face of evil once again. They tried to piece together the pieces that led up to this event and make sense out of this brazen act of terrorism against humanity under the banner of the Islamic God, Allah. They also asked on that day, "Where were you, God, when this happened?"


On this day twelve years later, people all over the nation commemorate once again the day of infamy that permanently altered the 21st century world. Some people still grieve the loss of their loved ones, others remain befuddled by what took place, and many might take a few minutes out of their day to remember what transpired on this terrible day. War and destruction via chemical agents in Syria are constantly broadcast on the news and military action is currently being debated in the vaulted chambers and hallowed halls of the U.S. Congress and Senate, all while injustice and oppression continue to perpetuate all over the world. Many, whether silently or audibly, still ponder, "Where were you, God, when this happened?"

On this day, long before India attacked Hyderabad, Pakistan in 1948,(1) long before the Quebec Bridge collapsed and killed 90 construction workers in Canada in 1911,(1) long before the cries of the unborn ones were forever silenced, long before the heartless Nazis exterminated millions of Jews and the non-Aryans, people were already asking this ageless question, “Where were you, God, when this happened?”

Pain and suffering is a perplexing reality of human experience and something that many people cannot fully comprehend. Many people and philosophers have attempted to rationalize or spiritualize away the answer to this dilemma. After losing a loved one to a premature death, some might receive momentary yet fleeing solace from their family and friends. After being confronted with the multitude of dead children and women due to an act of terrorism, some might dismiss God as a cruel and heartless monster and proclaim that Gott ist tot (from Friedrich Nietzsche, which means “God is dead”). After someone close unexpectedly dies, some might drown in the turbulent sea of hopelessness and despair and loneliness. After being confronted with the reality of pain and suffering, some with watery eyes might bitterly accept this event as an unfortunate "fate" or "karma." Yet the answer to the question of pain – indeed, a caricature of sin and evil – remains unanswered. Pain, sorrow, and suffering often robs humans of their happiness and rosy hopes, and it can bring the ivory towers of lofty dreams and desires crashing down to the ground in an instant – just like it did on September 11th, 2001.

"Pain is unmasked, unmistakable evil;” C.S. Lewis writes in The Problem of Pain. “Every man knows that something is wrong when he is being hurt.” C.S. Lewis continues even further:

“We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

Christianity provides an answer to the problem of pain and suffering. At the dawn of creation, the Creator brought everything into existence from nothing and declared the entire universe “very good” after Adam was created (Gen 1:31). But after sin entered the created order through Adam, humans were separated from God and degenerated into a cesspool of conflict, strife, and enmity with God and with other humans. It also had a profound impact on the entire creation, and God could have easily destroyed everything and started all over again. But he chose not to because he made a commitment to his creation and loved humans too much. He did not simply created everything then walked away; rather, he created and continues to sustains everything in the universe because he wants to redeem and reconcile everything to himself (Psalm 147:8-9; Nehemiah 9:6; Acts 17:25, 28; 2 Corinthians 5:18; Colossians 1:7, 20).

God’s redemptive plan was supremely revealed in and through the person and work of Jesus Christ, “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). He assumed humanity through his incarnation, lived among men for about thirty years, experienced every possible temptations and pain known in the world yet didn’t sinned once, suffered and died on the cross, and rose and triumphed over death three days later (1 Corinthians 15:50-57). He ascended into the heaven forty days later and has been reigning from "the heavenlies" (Ephesians 1:3), and he will return one day in the future. From the moment of his ascension to his eventual return, God is actively drawing men and women of all nations, tribes, and tongues to be reconciled to himself through the gospel message of Jesus Christ (John 6:44-45), which is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18-21; 2 Thessalonians 2:14). The only way anyone can be saved is to respond to God’s loving initiative by “confess[ing] with your mouth [or hands] that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead” (Romans 10:9).

Paul Chappell writes, “Because of His resurrection, we can have peace during even the most troubling of times because we know He is in control of all that happens in the world.” The great Unchangeable I Am has always been sitting on his throne and reigning as the King of King and Lord of Lords of the Universe throughout eternity (Psalm 2:4; 10:16; 11:4; 1 Timothy 1:17; 6:13-16; Revelation 19:16). Regardless of where the winds of time and change blows, the omnipotent God remains the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). God still tenderly speaks to the hurt and broken, "Come to me and rest in my presence, " and to the weary and faint of heart, "allow me to bear your heavy burdens and troubles," because He is the one who “binds up the brokenhearted” and comforts the crushed in the spirit (Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 61:1; 1 Peter 5:7). He is the God who is not only all-powerful but also desires people to have a relationship with him.

There is no escaping the reality of pain and suffering in this world, and Christians are not exempt from this either. But the hope and power of Christ’s resurrection enables His followers to persevere through the darkest valleys marked by pain and suffering. Whenever anyone cries out from a broken heart, “why doth thou hidest thy face,” Jesus cried out the most heart-wrenching words ever spoken on earth as His heavenly Father turned his face away from him while he hung on the cross dying: “'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani,’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me’” (Mark 15:34).

References:
(1) - http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/september11th.html