The Baby Died…

The baby died.

Yeah, he died. And pain, like a cruel thundershower, has soaked us all to the marrow.

Makes you wonder…Is there still a God?

Sages throughout the ages have posed that question. Sages…men with a lot more depth and purity of heart…Sages…

Time Magazine stirred the embers of controversy in the ’80s with a lead story titled IS GOD DEAD? If memory serves me well, the center-piece of that piece was the eternal query, “If God is still alive and well doing great wonders, why is there so much evil in the world?” Controversy aside, no one, in the opinion of this writer, has given a convincing counter-argument to the contentions of that long ago magazine article.

The baby died.

And the parents? They have lost so many already. Miscarriages, the doctors call it. So many! This is happening in America where the most advanced medical equipment and attention are at their disposal. No expense spared!

Still, he died.

Is there some mysterious reason God allowed this to happen for the umpteenth time? This is a woman who has borne her cross and walked the path of the believer. Great men and women of God have prayed and “laid hands.” A vast army of friends interceded on their knees night and day.

He died. Premature contractions. The intensive care unit did not save him. He died.

Within the same hospital, kids were giving birth to kids they really wished they weren’t. There are other women out there who have had it with fertility and childbirth, yet they continue to deliver multiples. My friend who has been married forever and desires only one has to wait…Again! These are times that rock the foundation of men’s beliefs.

Is there still a God? Is there order in this world or are we caught in the vortex of random occurrences, chaotic creatures living chaotic lives on a chaotic planet? Where is God’s face? Where is the mercy and compassion? Can anyone truly comprehend The Almighty’s goodness in times such as these? Yes, it is easy to point at all the other “miracles”…the sun, the air we breathe, the laughter bubbling from the depths of occasional hearts, the wisdom of thought… But can all the wonders of the ages atone for one child’s death? Forget the parents, the family friends, the men of God! What could a child just six months in the womb have done to deserve not to see the sun?

He had a name for goodness’ sake! She gave him a name! She called him by name! He wasn’t just a baby… He was a person with a name! Why did he have to die?

It’s got to be us. There must be something we’re doing wrong. I am too scared to contemplate the thought that God is not who He is touted to be. What father would sit quietly aside, watching the deluge of pain in this world? Perhaps we have been misinterpreting the “Holy Books.” Yeah, we couldn’t possibly be worshipping Him the right way – if indeed He wants to be worshipped. If indeed He is still out there somewhere presiding over the affairs of men. It’s got to be us.

It couldn’t possibly be Him?

Or Her?

Or Them!

The baby died.

As human beings, we have a fundamental need to believe in something. We have been so designed by evolution…God, if you like. Nevertheless, we occasionally walk the borderline of what some will call “blasphemy” as rebellious thoughts pop up ever so unexpectedly and shockingly in the dark fathomlessness of our minds. Questions such as WHAT GOD IN ALL HIS GOODNESS WOULD TAKE A BABY AWAY? Is there still a God out there?

If you hear tomorrow that I’ve been struck down by lightning, I guess you would know why…