Several years ago I received a very sad text from a friend in another state. His 16-year-old son, their only child, had been killed in a car crash. I knew that boy meant everything to him and his wife, and his loss just crushed their world.
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I told him I was praying God would bring peace and comfort to them during this terrible time, and that’s when he responded that he no longer believed in God — that a loving and merciful Lord would not have allowed this to happen.
My friend had lived the life of a good Christian, a solid believer. I knew he was devastated by this tragedy, that he was feeling a mixture of anger, sadness and depression. Denying God’s existence in its wake made the trauma even more sorrowful.
I couldn’t help thinking my friend hadn’t really lost his faith. He was just mad at God. Proclaiming his disbelief was some sort of desperate attempt to get back at Him. All of us go through times when we are tempted to get mad at God. Even some of the prominent people of the Bible got upset with the Lord.
Lessons from Scripture
Certainly Job was unhappy when God allowed Satan to rob him of all his blessings. David questioned God’s love and protection as he was forced to flee from King Saul’s attempts to kill him. We’re only human. When life beats us down, it’s understandable that our trust might be shaken.
So what do you say to someone who tells you they no longer believe in God?
My mind raced to come up with something profound to tell my friend, but I came up blank. This was no time for a debate. I just told him I understood his anger, but I was convinced God is still there, and that somehow, some way, he would get through this; that I was here for him if he needed to talk.
We still communicate from time to time, but we avoid the subject of his faith. I do pray that he has found his way back to God. You can’t stay mad forever at someone you love, and who loves you back. David got past his doubt and wrote, “I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever” (Psalm 52:8).
We should too.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Ken Lass is a retired Birmingham television news and sports anchor and an award-winning columnist for numerous publications and websites.
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