We don't know why

Something happens.

Sometimes, we say that event is “the move of the sovereign hand of God.”

Sometimes, we say it’s “just a random event.”

Either way, we are saying we don’t know why it happened.

One way imbues meaning by faith. The other says, we don’t know, and perhaps we wonder if God does.

From the point of view of the person who doesn’t yet follow Christ, might it be better to stick with “I don’t know” then try to imbue some meaning that we don’t understand?

Might it be better to remember “God works things together for good” instead of assuming “This event is God’s will and therefore is good”–especially when, in the moment, it doesn’t feel good at all? Remember we are to “rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” Just becomes something good comes out of an event doesn’t make it good. To use an extreme example, people came to faith in God in concentration camps–but that doesn’t make the camps God’s will.

This is perhaps useful to keep in mind when considering the price that many movements have paid, are paying, and will pay. Also, when considering that it is within turmoil that movements find significant growth. Let us be careful about analyzing why turmoil happens, and imputing motives to the God whose thoughts are higher than ours.