Are you someone who’s skeptical of God right now? Maybe you catch the news and wonder how he could allow all the messes we’re seeing around us. If that’s you, you’re not alone, and I invite you to examine God’s perspective on some of the big issues in our country today. I’m convinced what God says is the best and most beautiful answer you’ll find.

Race
Racial tensions are high right now. The discussions over how to talk about which lives matter have revealed certain ugly perspectives and unloving reactions. People debate how best to deal with it, what needs to change, and how to educate. These are necessary discussions, but they often fall short without God’s perspective.

Each person is wonderfully made by God, and he’s the one who made beautiful diversity among humanity. He chooses what family we’ll be born into and the color of our skin. No one should ever be made to feel they have to apologize for their race or feel inferior because of it. Race matters to him. Yet God doesn’t let race influence how he deals with people. In ancient terms, there is neither Jew nor Gentile in his sight. Your race doesn’t matter at all when it comes to forgiveness, acceptance into his family, and claiming your place in heaven.

Who else could maintain such a balance of celebrating racial diversity while perfectly avoiding any racial inequality all at the same time? Only God.

Guilt
Our nation is rethinking seriously people and events of our past we aren’t always proud of. Some are responding by tearing down statues of these individuals or scrubbing away public mention of them, as if it scrubs away the guilt. Others come to their defense to preserve history and what good contributions these people made, despite their failures.

God has a different way of dealing with guilt. He never excuses it, but he also doesn’t ask us to hide it. He invites us to lay it out in the open with all its ugly truth. And he takes it upon himself. This is the reason for the cross: God facing all the shame and punishment our failures deserve. He needed to deal with human brokenness. So he let himself be humiliated publicly, stripped naked, mocked, and executed to take away human guilt once and for all. So no matter what anyone’s done—no matter their past—forgiveness is offered freely. That’s true for you and me too.

Who else could be so perfectly just and yet take the blame upon himself so guilty people can go free? Only God.

Sickness and death
COVID-19 has made people of all ages contemplate illness and the reality of their mortality. The worldview of recent generations posited that sickness and death are simply part of life, suggesting that it’s actually good for people to die so the strong survive and species can improve. But I don’t know anyone who’s actually okay with saying that. There’s something inside of us that values life more than that and doesn’t want anyone to die.

Do you know who values life most and never wants anyone to perish? God. He’s not okay with death. He made us to live with immortal souls. Moral failures brought death, but Jesus came not only to die but actually to come back to life again. He promises that by believing in him, you will live forever in an existence that is better than anything you can imagine—a heaven with no more sickness, sorrow, or death.

Who else could acknowledge the sorrow of death and also overcome it by offering life after death that is so much better than this life? Only God.

I know this blog doesn’t come close to addressing every issue, but do you know what I’ve come to realize? When you can’t understand God’s ways, you can trust his heart. Because he gave his Son for us. Even with everything going on right now, his answers are still the best and most beautiful ones you’ll find.

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! (Romans 11:33).