Blame is the Name of the Game 2 of 4

            The root cause of this is that, in many ways, our culture has lost any sense of ultimate meaning or objective truth.  Things matter insofar as we decide to believe they matter.  Things are true insofar as we allow ourselves to believe them true.  Reality is what an individual elects to make of it.  This is a somewhat attractive position.  First off, it allows me as an individual to never be wrong unless I decide I am wrong.  Who wants to be wrong?  Moreover, if I change my mind to now be “right,” I can feel as though I’ve made a great accomplishment.  This approach also allows me to get along just fine with other people without having to confront in any way the vast disparity between our worldviews and understanding of reality.  You have your truth, I have mine, and we’re just fine with that.  This has been known to keep the peace between family, among friends, and even in the church. 
            The problem is that some truths are simply mutually incompatible.  The same activity cannot be both right and wrong.  Left cannot be right.  Up cannot be down.  There are certain aspects to reality that are not open to interpretation.  You and I might disagree about a matter.  Often, we cannot both be right.  So who is to determine who is right and who is wrong?  Who is to determine what the ultimate truth, ultimate reality, ultimate meaning is?
            Christians have historically answered that question by saying that God is the ultimate arbiter of truth and meaning.  He communicates that truth and meaning to us through His Word.  This gives Christians a way to comprehend when “bad things” happen while maintaining a coherent narrative for life in the world.  A coherent narrative, or a way to engage the world around a person, is a necessary part of existence.  When a person’s narrative becomes incoherent, that is, when the world ceases to make sense, it becomes impossible to function.
            Our society has become, by and large, “godless.”  This doesn’t mean that people do not believe in God, or some sort of god.  Statistics and polls indicate that the majority of people claim a belief in some sort of god.  But all too often, this belief does not have an effect upon the way individuals live.  It does not play a role in the determination of truth or ultimate meaning in life.  It does not play a role in forming a coherent narrative for life in this world.  The existence of and belief in some sort of god is extraneous information, given roughly the same status as the knowledge that the Minnesota Vikings have lost four Super Bowls.  A Vikings fan may care about that fact, but it doesn’t really affect life in this world. 

            Without some god serving as arbiter of ultimate meaning and truth, the individual is left to their own devices.  I determine my own meaning and my own truth.  I construct my own narrative, and try to have it be coherent to me.  For many people, this works, insofar as they feel happy and secure living their lives this way.  The difficulty comes when something bad happens, whether it be the death of a gorilla, or a little boy, or 49 people in a night club.  

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