I cringe when I hear someone say, "God took him/her away from us. He wanted or needed them more than I did."
Granted, we all have ways of dealing with grief, but putting God in charge of death, taking people at whim, is off limits.
Throughout the Bible, there is a very clear understanding from beginning to end that God did not create death. God does not even desire death. (Now there are some who say, what about the battles and disasters in the Old Testament? Well, remember that much of the Old Testament historical books are actually theological reflections, with a very partial understanding of God.)
So to say that God takes away someone, almost like a miserly creator wanting his possessions back, is really not true, and doesn't even accurately reflect the character of God that we know. God is love, and doesn't hurt people.
Death happens when our bodies break down. Death happens when our genetics get mixed up and terminal disease is the result. Death happens when accidents take place. These come up in readings on a daily basis.
But God doesn't go around zapping people at random.
If anything, God is there to comfort us in our loss. God receives people who pass into loving arms. God assures us through signs and messages from those who have passed that they are still very much alive in Spirit. God assures us through all this that love is everlasting.
Granted, we all have ways of dealing with grief, but putting God in charge of death, taking people at whim, is off limits.
Throughout the Bible, there is a very clear understanding from beginning to end that God did not create death. God does not even desire death. (Now there are some who say, what about the battles and disasters in the Old Testament? Well, remember that much of the Old Testament historical books are actually theological reflections, with a very partial understanding of God.)
So to say that God takes away someone, almost like a miserly creator wanting his possessions back, is really not true, and doesn't even accurately reflect the character of God that we know. God is love, and doesn't hurt people.
Death happens when our bodies break down. Death happens when our genetics get mixed up and terminal disease is the result. Death happens when accidents take place. These come up in readings on a daily basis.
But God doesn't go around zapping people at random.
If anything, God is there to comfort us in our loss. God receives people who pass into loving arms. God assures us through signs and messages from those who have passed that they are still very much alive in Spirit. God assures us through all this that love is everlasting.
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