Job And Faith: What Shall We Do With This God?
I asked the question, out loud, via email and via Facebook, if people believed the biblical story of Job was real, meaning historical. The point being what Theology (words about God) comes from the story if you believe that Job was a real person, who lived in a real place, and had those real things happen to him.
Some had considered him to be historical, others said it was more an allegorical composite of suffering in the world, and others still had never considered the question. I was in the third camp, thus I asked the question.
I received many replies from all three camps. Many dealt with the Theodicy of the story: why there is evil in the world at all, if there is an all-powerful, all-loving God. That was not my concern.
Others commented on the lesson of Job in regards to how we should accept the suffering which will most definitely be a part of our lives; following Job’s righteous example. Again, nice, but not my concern.
I also received words about not taking a view of God solely from this passage, that the totality of scripture is needed to paint a clearer picture of God, on this side of the veil. Though probably the most wise words, they still did not completely hit the mark. For this passage does present an ulgy picture of God. Period. Others might smooth it out, but this one is wrinkled. The photo has been in the pocket of the most devout atheist, confused agnostic, and baffled theist since it was penned or passed by word of mouth.
What do we do with this God?
I believe the whollstic approach to the Bible is valid, even if somewhat unsettling, especially being one who does not like the answer “mystery” or “have faith” as a Christian catch-all, but more on that later.
In the midst of all this, I was challenged, more than once, to ignore the story. Or put more fairly, “have faith” in God and that “Faith” will iron the picture, or at the very least, turn your face to smoother sights.
I have a problem with this.
As a high school teacher, I don’t deal with people who accept “just have faith that it will all work out” as a viable answer. And they shouldn’t. Why? Because the world doesn’t work that way. Why? Because the Bible doesn’t work that way. Time and time again, the Biblical record shows people who do NOT come to peace or a good end, at least in this life. Not to mention the passages where we are admonished NOT to think that things will all be perfect and work out. Minor to major prophets. Jesus to Paul. All say do not think that “faith” means bad things won’t happen, or that the redemption of bad things will take place in your life time.
The story of Job is a perfect example of that. Things do NOT work out for good in that story. And the character of God is NOT a pleasing one. If it is an accurate picture of God, then an “unbeliever” reading it has good reason to ask why bother, as if they don’t have enough wrinkles in their life.
I was further admonished to not ask such questions out loud. This is not the first time in my life that has happened. The well intentioned thought being it will derail others from their “faith.”
This makes me wonder what said people’s “faith” was built on. As if “faith” has no relationship with “doubt.” I wonder if the writer of Hebrews feels the same way?
“Faith” does not cover the reality of what the story says about God’s character. It covers the idea of taking all of scripture as a whole, not in isolation, when talking about God’s character, but this story still shows that wrinkled picture of God. Ignoring that, not questioning it, does not make it go away. The Bible is not erased.
Jesus was a good Jew: He carried on the rabbinical tradition of asking hard questions loudly in public. By challenging the accepted system, including the parts He supported, because people were skimming over them, or ignoring the parts they didn’t like. He knew people needed to ask certain questions and find answers, especially those who actually take the time to read scripture and arrive at those questions themselves: those for whom the whole text is nice moral stories, motivational literature, or simply “foolishness.” Give them the story of Job.
Tell them to have “faith.”
Tell this to the 17 year old girl who recently got engaged because she “loves the idea of being married,” because it will be the only stability and safety she’s had in her life for a long time, because every parents, step parent, and grandparent have divorced.
The girl who has never seen a stable father figure in her life, spending most of her life trying to avoid men, other than the string of broken relationships, including the one she cheats on now.
The girl who has bounced from religion to religion, tried being an atheist, but gave it up because she “really wants to belong in a church,” for the sense of purpose and community.
The girl who wants to believe in a loving God who will be there for her, so she won’t have to find security in a marriage she believes will end in three years.
The girl who read the story of Job, then screamed, then cried, outloud and in an essay, what the fuck? How can I love a God, or believe a God like this loves me, when he ACTS the same way my broken family does?!”
If the Bible is the Word of God, our best picture/understanding of the way God interacts with the world, and communicates God’s plan for humanity and the universe, paints God in such a light, you tell her to “just have faith.”
And then go to sleep in your safe, warm bed.
A part of this “faith,” is asking tough questions and getting answers whenever you can. Why? Because it is not just about edifying the church, or keeping the status quo of safe christiandom. There are people who don’t have “faith” and can’t have “faith” because all they have seen is contradictions and pain, in the world and then in the Bible. We have to do better than giving false hope and pat answers.
Many passages talk about wrestling with and meditating on the scripture. There is a reason for that. Such actions are diametrically opposed to sticking our head under a pew, and the wrinkled picture back in our pocket citing “faith” as a photoshop tool: when “faith” is really another way of saying blind acceptance to whatever by pastor/priest/rabbi/father said.
Reading the text for yourself means to wrestle. To meditate. To grab an magnifying glass, an iron, and an open heart to really understand what it means to have “faith.”
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2 Responses to “Job And Faith: What Shall We Do With This God?”
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I love that you blog about things like this; and I don’t like to end my sentences with prepositions so I’m going to keeping typing for three more words.
what up mr. henry…
loved the thoughts and the wrestling…walking with you, in some internet weird way…