Food for Thought: When Good Things Happen to Bad People

Several years ago, I read the book, When Bad Christians Happen to Good People by Dave Burchett. I don’t remember many details from the book, except that the author had a child in a vegetative state and he was quite distressed by the treatment of his family by people who called themselves Christians. He was also disappointed that he himself was having trouble justifying why God had allowed this terrible tragedy to fall on him, his wife and child. As I remember it, he used his experience to point out to his readers, that not all people who call themselves Christians live lives worthy of the title, but that we are all works in progress, and that where we are is not where God intends us to end up. We all have sinned and fallen short, and that is precisely why we need the saving grace of God. By writing the book Burchett hoped people would realize that we can all do better at living as Christ instructed.

But what do we do with good things happening to bad people and bad things happening to good people? In this world, we do not always see the “good guys” on top and the “scoundrels” at the bottom. Trying to unravel the mystery of the problem of evil can often result in more questions than answers. Why shouldn’t we blame God for allowing bad things to happen, especially to innocent children? On the other hand, should we try to defend the existence of evil as a way for us to understand, by contrast, what is good? How do we account for the fact that so many people who cheat and get rich off the labor of poor people are allowed to live in luxury while so many others are suffering? Do we have to wait for judgment day to see justice done in the world?

Is there an answer to the question of why bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people? Is there an explanation that will make sense of it all? Probably not! We can offer scholarly theological explanations, but in the end, while we might feel clever about turning things around to say that bad is actually good, the pain and sense of unfairness will still be there. But the word “answer” can also mean “response” as well as “explanation,” and in that sense, there may well be a satisfying answer to the tragedies in our lives. Our response should be to forgive the world for not being perfect, to forgive God for not making a more perfect world, to reach out to the people around us, and to go on living the best Christian life we can, despite it all.