Last time we began with the movie Signs, by M. Night Shymalan. In this story, aliens arrive on earth . . . for real. There are spaceships in the night sky all across the world, but they have also been secretively scouting the surface on foot. It seems the people of earth are getting ready to have a hand-to-hand battle to the death with these creatures, for they do not want to destroy the earth, but keep it for themselves. 

This story focuses almost exclusively on one family — a former pastor, Graham Hess, his son Morgan, daughter Bo, and Uncle Merrill, who came to live with them after the children’s mother tragically died a year or so earlier. 

As the story develops, we learn Graham lost his faith because of the death of his wife, Colleen, and stepped away from the church six months ago. The circumstances around her death were unbelievably unlikely, and contributed to Graham’s angst, something we detailed in the last newsletter.

In fact, before long, you realize that Graham’s struggle is what this story is all about. It is stated quite clearly in the dialog. In this life, we have two basic choices — to believe, or not believe. Or as Graham puts it, we belong to one of two groups:

Do we believe there is Someone up there looking out for us, Someone who will be there to help us no matter what happens . . . even if aliens invade? If we do, this allows us to hope. 

Or do we believe there is no one up there looking out for us, there never has been, we have always been alone, and this life is truly random? If so, this only leaves us to fear.

Just as an all-out alien invasion begins, it’s clear Graham believes his faith in the past was falsely placed. He never comes out and says it, but it was the incredible randomness and senselessness of his wife’s tragic death that proved to him there is no God — for if He was really up there and really cared, He would have never allowed it. 

Graham finally cries out, “I will never pray again. I will never waste another minute doing so.” Not that Graham is happy with this, because he is not. For he knows without God, all he’s left with is fear. 

Many of us have been stricken with great tragedy that seemed to have just fallen out of the sky. In many cases it is not connected with anyone’s sin, or error, or bad choices. In this life there is great loss that just happens, for this world is broken, and disease and decay and death is part of it. 

When great tragedy happens and it is incredibly unlikely: like a terminal disease that only one in several hundred thousand contract; or being literally struck by lightning; or being hit by a truck on a country road in the evening when you were out for a walk and pinned “perfectly” to a large oak tree . . . it can seem impossible to make sense of it. And it is easy to wonder, as much as you don’t want to, that maybe there is no one up there looking out for you and yours. 

If God is truly sovereign over all of existence, and He is also, not only loving, but checed, covenantal, unbreakable, perfect love — as hard as it is to say out loud, the following statement has to be true in some shape or form: 

When tragic things happen to us, regardless of the circumstances, God at the very least chose to allow them to happen. He could have stopped it, or changed it, but did not. 

And yet, regardless of this understanding, many of us continue to believe. For me, you have to remember the whole story, and this very much includes the fact that this world broke when we rebelled, not God. It’s easy to forget this, and that much of the pain and difficulty in this life we bring on ourselves and others is because of our selfishness and sin. 

Although some of us have woken up to these truths and with the help of the Holy Spirit are on the better path; humanity as a whole, all of us, are like the prodigal son, still struggling with our rebelliousness. One day we will return home for good. But we haven’t just yet. 

We forgot about Graham, that sometimes happens. But God does not want to forget about him. He loves him too much for that. So, think about this:

As much as you have learned about Graham, exactly how he has suffered and what he has suffered from (take a long breath, this sentence is only beginning); if you were God and you wanted to speak to Graham to reassure and console him, but especially to wake him up, to cause him to realize you truly are up there looking out for him, completely sovereign and utterly loving; you are the key to this life, of this life having any chance of truly being satisfying and good –- just how might you do that? 

One more rule. You can’t go back in time and undo anything that has already happened. But in theory, in the present, you could do anything. 

And I’ll give you a little clue. Graham lost his faith because the circumstances of his wife’s death were so unbelievably unlikely. What just might be the very thing to help him regain it?  

 

Next time.

Sam

Coming soon: Once Upon A Time, Volume Two. Read more here:  https://samuelblumenthal.com/book/#volume2