Can two walk together without meeting? Does a lion roar in the forest if it has no prey? Does a beast let out a cry from its den if it has not trapped its meal?
Does a bird suddenly fall to the ground unless snared? Does a trap spring up from the ground without having caught something?
When a shofar sounds in a town, do the people not worry? Can misfortune befall a place if the One Who Is has not caused it?
Indeed, the One Who Is does nothing without first revealing it to the divine servants the prophets.
——- Amos 3:1-7
A shofar is a ram’s horn. The ancient Hebrew equivalent to a modern early warning siren, the shofar is blown to warn people of impending disaster. The blowing of the shofar is also a central part of the High Holy Day rituals. In this case, the shofar warns you of the disaster you are causing in your own life by failing to live justly, kindly, and humbly.
God is the sole reality, thus evil must come from God. You may prefer to think of God as only good, only just, only kind, and so on. But the truth is that God is everything: light and dark, good and evil, blessing and curse. You see this throughout the prophets: God is both the cause of calamity and the source of salvation. How are you to understand this?
Think in terms of electricity running through an outlet in your home. If you plug a lamp into the socket, you receive light. If you stick your finger in the socket, you get electrocuted. The nature of electricity hasn’t changed; how you engage it has. It is the same with God. Engage God wisely and goodness results; engage God foolishly and disaster occurs. What is engaging God wisely? Living justly, compassionately, and humbly. What is engaging God foolishly? Living unjustly, cruelly, and exploiting all you meet.
Here is another aspect of the prophetic task: to sound a warning so you look to your actions to see if you are not about to stick your finger in the socket and die.
Jhudiel's Ward said,
June 18, 2009 at 9:37 am
“God is the sole reality, thus evil must come from God. You may prefer to think of God as only good, only just, only kind, and so on. But the truth is that God is everything: light and dark, good and evil, blessing and curse.”
These statements are disturbing at best. You liken it to electricity – and the metaphor can also be extended to Money or Guns or anything else where the exercise of the Will of man can change the intended purpose of good to something Evil. But that Evil “comes from” God is most arguably incorrect. For the intent for My Lord is always and forever Good. It is when Man injects his own Will does it compromise the initial and sole intent of God which is well-being for his creations.
Man has an uncanny way of “bastard-izing” and “perverting” God’s true intent for our lives. Not all men…but most! Perhaps it is because we are so un-wise to our true purpose in the BIG picture…but responsibility for our actions lie with us…it is part of Free Will which we have been given..even that, out of pure love of our Creator, My Lord.
In this we differ! Love and Light…always Light!