"What in the world is God doing?"

As I write this morning, I have the latest issue of “Wired” magazine sitting on my desk. The front cover features “The New Atheism. No Heaven. No Hell. Just Science.” The subtitle is “Inside the crusade against religion.”

I haven’t read the article. But given the admissions that I’ve already made below, I realize that I am in conflict with major trends in the world today. (I also know that there are those who would agree with me.)

As a Christian, I am mandated to consider myself a “peacemaker”:

7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
(Matt 5-7, NIV)

This is one major source of conflict where some sort of understanding needs to be reached. But there are others: The conflict in Iraq. The greater conflict – “the clash of civilizations” with Islam. The political conflict here in the US.

Given that I believe “the Bible alone is the Word of God,” given that I believe God exists and not only exists like the Deist “watchmaker,” but that he exists as John Calvin described him (as Jesus described: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.” (Matt 10:29) – this is a God who is Sovereign, who is intimately involved with orchestrating the minute happenings in this world – I think it is fair to ask, “What in the world is God doing?”

Not only is it fair to ask that question. It is mandatory to come up with good answers. For the sake of responding to Wired’s “pure scientists. For the sake of Iraq, for the sake of “civilization,” for the sake of the US.

For the sake of my children, who will grow up in this world.