Jim V. asks, “If God is all-powerful, does that mean that He/She is the “Grand Puppeteer” and brought this pandemic upon us? If so, then why? Or as some say, God doesn’t bring bad things upon us, but allows bad things to just happen so good may occur as a result. If so, what is the “good” that has resulted with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic? Is God testing us here?”
Fred Stella, the Pracharak (Outreach Minister) for the West Michigan Hindu Temple, responds:
The Hindu scriptures and our teaching tradition have tried to emphasize to adherents for centuries that God is not a puppeteer of any kind. He’s not the old man in the sky pondering situations for us, nor is he testing us. Yes, when Spirit manifested itself as this universe certain rules of nature were put into place; but to think that Covid or any other disease is a punishment or test is not correct thinking from a Vedic point of view. What propels us in any given direction is our karma. That is, our actions and the consciousness that generates those actions. One challenge is that there is individual karma and mass karma. So, when a society (or multiple nations) have large populations that act in a particular way, the ‘innocent’ can also get swept up in the ordeal. One may look at our problems with Covid in just that way. And I’ll say that those people who have committed the evil of misleading great numbers by purposely spreading the terrible misinformation about the disease, vaccines, etc. will have much bad karma to deal with in this or a future life.
Has good come out of the Covid crisis? The Vedas say that all existence is a balance of light and dark. So of course, there has. It has given many the opportunity to express a high degree of compassion, generosity and bravery. It has allowed people to rethink their lives in terms of their employment and allowed many to work at home without the cumbersome requirement of pants.
Imam Kip Curnutt, Director of Religious Education and Associate Imam of Masjid At-Tawheed in Grand Rapids, responds:
Life with all of its ups and downs is a test of character for the human being. Whether in times of ease or hardship, we are constantly tasked with acting appropriately being upright moral beings. In times of ease, gratitude and humility are sought from us. In times of hardship, our task is patience and fortitude. From that perspective, I always try to remind myself not to ask ‘why has God made circumstances the way they are?’ But rather, to ask ‘What is my moral responsibility in front of God in this circumstance that He has put me in?’ As it is mentioned in the Quran: He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned. 21:23
The Reverend Colleen Squires, minister at All Souls Community Church of West Michigan, a Unitarian Universalist Congregation, responds:
As a Unitarian Universalist there are many ways to answer these thoughtful questions. For those of us who believe in God we do not believe in a grand puppeteer or vengeful God but rather in a loving God. Believing in a merciful God is very challenging when we are fully aware of all the suffering that goes on in the world. In regard to Covid 19 pandemic God would show up in all the people trying to help contain the spread, those who think beyond themselves and are doing what is right for all people: like getting vaccinated. God is present when humanity is at its best and absent when people are selfish and arrogant.
The Rev. Sandra Nikkel, head pastor of Conklin Reformed Church, responds:
God is all-powerful, but he chose to make us with free will. This means that we have the choice to bless or to hurt--others and/or ourselves. The fact that he is in full control means that when bad things happen he can use them for our good and for his glory.
So, what is the good that has come out of this pandemic? It has allowed us to slow down, to be more thoughtful and to not take things that we enjoy for granted (like gathering with friends and family). It has also exposed our fears, bitterness, anger, and anxieties. Therefore, it has given us the opportunity to seek God's help and protection. God is waiting for the opportunity to intervene in our lives, but because of the free will he's given us, he waits to be invited. This pandemic has given us the opportunity to do that. It has opened the door for us to get rid of self-dependence and replace it with God-dependence. It has opened the door for our self-confidence to leave, as we learn to welcome what it means to live with full dependence on God, which is the way we were meant to live!
Continued in next week’s column …
This column answers questions of Ethics and Religion by submitting them to a multi-faith panel of spiritual leaders in the Grand Rapids area. We’d love to hear about the ordinary ethical questions that come up in the course of your day as well as any questions of religion that you’ve wondered about. Tell us how you resolved an ethical dilemma and see how members of the Ethics and Religion Talk panel would have handled the same situation. Please send your questions to [email protected].
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