“And with all the traffic raging around you, I pray that you will hear only the quiet hum.”- Matt Bays
Chapter 17 (“The Quiet Hum- My Life for the Glory of God”) is the concluding chapter of Finding God in the Ruins. Matt Bays asserts that at times it is appropriate- and even right- to doubt God’s existence or involvement in our lives. Blindly ignoring the effect of painful events on our faith does not make us more faithful, Pastor Bays notes.
If our faith is ever going to mature from adolescence to adulthood, doubt is a necessary part of our journey. Matt states that “when we . . . embrace our doubt, we are often propelled forward, closer to God than we ever though possible.”
Shelving the trials we have faced does not allow God to use them for the good of others. By denying others access to our stories, we are living out the bystander effect- minimizing our involvement. We fail to acknowledge how our pain could set someone else free. By listening to God’s quiet hum, we can assume the burden of responsibility. Matt offers these encouraging words:
“Because of your strength to step up to the plate, because of your courage to stand alone and honor the pain, because of your willingness to carry the burden of responsibility, the chances that others will be rescued has just increased dramatically.”
Today’s question (from Matt): Take a moment to think about whether God’s love has become greater than your pain, despair, or unanswered prayer. Is what you’ve been through worth what you’ve gained as a result? Would you say you pain has been redeemed, or is still in the process of being redeemed? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the Annotated Bibliography of Finding God in the Ruins