The Strange Ways Of God

THE STRANGE WAYS OF GOD

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:1-13

When I was a freshman at The Ohio State University, back in 1967-1968, I took as general electives Philosophy 101 and 102. In the second of these two courses our final exam was a unique one. The professor posed to us a dilemma. Here it was: An ocean-liner hit an iceberg and sank. Only five people found their way to a lifeboat: The Pope, a scientist who had just discovered a cure for cancer (not yet revealed), an escaped murderer from a prison and a mother with her newborn infant. Radio contact confirmed that they could not be rescued for five days. But the lifeboat carried only enough water for (1) either five people for three days, or (2) four people for five days. The dilemma was clear. Someone had to go overboard in order to save the rest. Who would it be: Pope? Scientist? Criminal? Mother? Baby? We were to write out our answers with ethical and philosophical reasoning. Our whole quarter grade depended on that one 3,000 word essay.

Isaiah’s message of 55:1-13 places us in the same sort of dilemma. We are faced with thirst, hunger, danger and (eternal) life and death issues. From where shall we gain the answers and reasoning for our life-changing decisions? Isaiah is clear: God’s Word. Indeed, God’s Word will not always seem logical to us; sometimes it will seem even wrong, and always it will stretch our minds and souls. In the end, though, it will always lead to our joy and enrichment.

In 1967, I was still a young Roman Catholic. So the answer to my essay was easy and the rationale was clear. The Pope should volunteer to sacrifice his life for the others. I said, “He should hear the criminal’s confession, baptize the baby, pray for the mother and write his last decree funding the scientist’s published cure for cancer. Then he should say, “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Then pray, slip overboard and die.

The rest of the class came, almost unanimously, to another conclusion: the Pope should absolve the murderer of his sins and then the group should throw him overboard because he was the least “useful” member of society. Only one student in the class got an

A: the Roman Catholic boy.

But my black composition booklet came back with a strange note at the end. It had an F crossed out, then an A beside it, with a note, “See me in my office…ASAP!” When I went to the professor’s office, he told me how much my essay had troubled his soul. Then he said to me, “Why, Sir, are you wasting your life in business school? You should be in Philosophy, Theology or Ethics, not in the business of making money. I loved your answer; I hated your reasoning; I am angry over your choice of careers. I gave you an A…well…because I had to; not because I wanted to.”

He then asked, “Where did you get your ideas?” I said to him, “I think they’re from Jesus Christ.” And he said, “Ahhh, Jesus! That man bothers me, but I can’t help but like him.” I knew not the Gospel then and so I said nothing, took the A grade, and went to get a pizza with my buddies.

Would that I could meet that professor just one more time. He’s likely deceased by now. How wonderful it would have been to read him Isaiah 55:1-13 and then discuss the Gospel with him. To this day, that professor troubles me, but I can’t help but like him. It is my prayer that God’s strange ways found him out and gave him the gift of eternal life: “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace” (Isaiah 55:12).

PRAYING FOR THE PCA

CEP: Pray for the local church, that ministry to our children will be focused on raising a generation of Kingdom disciples. Pray for the repentance of our generation as we have given priority to so many other things before this.

CC: Pray that God will give strength and discernment to the Student Development Team as they seek to create an environment that will assist students in developing life skills and enhance their ability to take personal responsibility for their spiritual growth as intentional learners. Pray that they will have wisdom as they assign roommates, design and implement a vibrant Orientation week and train Resident Directors and Resident Assistants to mentor students and create hall identities.

MNA: Please pray for God to continue to open hearts in the PCA to support MNA Special Needs Ministries financially, prayerfully and personally in their local congregations.

PCAF: Pray that God will work through the PCA Foundation more and more to benefit the other PCA Committees and Agencies.

RH: Pray for the Ridge Haven Board of Directors as they move through the search process for a new Executive Director, and for the Executive Committee as they oversee operations during the process.