the BLOG of stuart mcdonald

So, I’m on Twitter and I see an interesting headline pop across the screen. “Southern Baptist minister prays for Obama’s death” Intrigued, I open the article:

“The Rev. Wiley Drake, a former second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, told Fox News Radio earlier this month that he was practicing “imprecatory prayer” or seeking a divine curse that would cause the president to die.”

To pray for someone’s death is absolutely abhorrent. When you pray for someone’s death, you’re essentially telling them they to “go to Hell.”

God is the giver of life. Jesus came that we “may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10) But it is his enemy, Satan who “comes to steal, KILL, and destroy” (John 10:9) We know the 10 Commandments say not to murder and I would propose that praying for someone’s death ventures incredibly close to murder. You may not have literally killed that person, but some blood will be on your hands.

Regardless of what you believe about that particular person, to wish them death is ridiculous. And to call yourself a minister, someone who allegedly represents Christ, on top of that? Well… you sir, will have to answer to God for that.

I, honestly, don’t care whether or not you love and support everything the President does or not. As a Christian it is part of your duty to pray for the President to have wisdom, guidance, protection, discernment, and leadership. People, you have no idea what President Obama is up against. No idea. A little support, even if it’s just a prayer, goes a long way.

If you don’t like his administration, I don’t believe there is anything forbidding you from moving elsewhere, so you may want to take advantage of that opportunity.

However, it’s always important to read the whole article before making decisions. I’m glad I did because apparently it’s just this man that has (or at least admits) this point of view.

“Roger Oldham, vice president for convention relations with the Southern Baptist’s executive committee, told the Associated Baptist Press that Drake’s comments do not reflect the actions, resolutions or positions of the denomination.”

Well, thank God for spokespeople clarifying that! My goal is here NOT to judge him, lest the same standard be one day held against me. No, I’ll let God do that. My goal in writing this is to say: Pray for your president regardless of how you feel about him and his policies. Don’t wish death upon ANY person.

Read the article here: “Southern Baptist minister prays for Obama’s death”

A friend emailed me the other day with a tragic story and a question about God. I wanted to share my response with you. Here’s what she wrote:

Today my friends woke up to a tragic scene. My best friend’s neighbors’ house was broken into this am and the husband was shot and killed. They have 3 small children, he was 31. I only met the husband a couple of times, but he and his wife were always nice and friendly. Why do these things happen to such good people? I hesitate to ask “Why would God allow that?” I just don’t understand how something so horrible could happen to someone that is living right in this world.

Here is my response:

That is absolutely tragic and I’m so sorry to hear about their loss! The family is definitely in my prayers.  I’m also humbled and appreciative that you would ask me a question like this. While there’s SO much I could say, I’ll try to keep it concise.

Why do bad things happen to good people? It I love to answer a question with a question, so I’ll do just that: Do bad people deserve to have bad things happen to them? What makes a person “bad vs “good”? Is someone bad because they’ve killed someone, but a “good” person is kind to everyone? We can’t look at the outward appearance to even the acts of others to completely determine whether a person is good or bad. The minute that I being to judge others in that way, I place myself above them and set myself up to be judged just as I have done to them.

The fact of life is this: Rain falls on the just and the unjust alike. We think it more tragic when things happen to “good” people, yet fail to realize “bad” people are people too. They have families and sibling and mothers and fathers who may be “good”. Their loved ones are probably just as devastated about what has happened to them as the families of the “good” people.

I wouldn’t hesitate to ask God anything. Especially the hard questions that start with why, how, what, when, or who. When I wrestle with God about those things, not only do I feel glad I “let Him have it” but I think He smiles at me. Asking those questions means I really want to understand His purpose and plans and have His mind.

Why God would allow something like that to happen is beyond me. And that’s where I want it. God is much bigger and His ways are so much higher than ours. Sometimes I’m glad I don’t see every trial and tribulation I’ll have to go through to get to where God has called me. If I knew now, instead of when I got there, I just may quit now before even attempting anything.

Think about this: You’re looking at a computer screen, but you’re only able to see a small 10×10 square of pixels. At first, it’s a few pretty colors you like, perhaps a faint image. What you saw wouldn’t make much sense, even though you’d be happy or content with it, right? Now say you saw that same 10×10 square change colors. Now it’s an ugly color, or something you didn’t like. You’d be more confused than at first right? Maybe you’d be frustrated and would try to figure out why the change was going on.

The good news is God is able to see the entire screen. He knows exactly why things are changing and tragedies are happening even when what we see doesn’t make much sense at all. That’s why He is God and we are not. Our finite brains can not possibly wrap around the wisdom, knowledge and understanding of a God whose hands are the width of the entire Universe.