Not long ago I was sharing with a dear friend what I believe and why. After I said something I'm sure was incredibly wise, he looked at me and asked (I'm paraphrasing here), "How can you talk about a God of love with all the terrible wars going on, especially those where people claim to be killing in His name? How can a just God allow this?" Good question.

I find it interesting whenever I'm asked that. Across the world there are various systems of justice, each with their own versions of judges, lawyers, and rules. But though they may be very different, one thing remains constant in each system -- justice is something that occurs after the fact, not before it. A crime occurs, a wrong committed. Only afterward does justice play a role.

The real question is simpler. How can God allow this? Still a good question, but what are the options?

My friend would probably say He should not allow wars. That's noble, but in the great scheme of things does very little. What about the world's non-war mass killings by the likes of Adolph Hitler, Pol Pot, Joseph Stalin, the Khmer Rouge, and Sadam Hussein, to name just a few? Okay, so let's add these and all killings and murders to our wish list of what we don't want God to allow.

What about taking by force what belongs to another? Nations do it to gain political power. Businesses do it to gain economic advantage. Individuals do it simply because they want what you have. So let's put on our list all kinds of theft and stealing, large and small. Our list is growing.

Then, of course, there's lying and cheating, from civil affairs to marriages. Why would God allow people to become wealthy by claiming they will do something they can't or won't? Why would He allow that husband to cheat on his wife or that woman to have an affair with another man? Why would He allow fathers and mothers to abandon their families or children to become ill? Why would He allow death at all?

Maybe we should add everything that's bad and wrong to our list. Wouldn't it be better if God stopped it all from happening? Ah, but everyone doesn't agree as to what's bad or wrong. Whose definitions should win out? Mine? Yours? Theirs? In the end, How can God allow this? simply creates a new question: Who gets to decide what "this" is?

Even if we all agree on the list, there's a problem. How would God stop all "this" from happening? Remember, justice occurs after an event. What must occur first to prevent that event from happening? The answer is simple. God would have to manipulate everything. Our wants and needs would no longer be ours. We would blindly obey, without thought...without choice...without purpose.

But God has not made us mindless puppets. We can think about what we do and why, make choices that affect us and those around us, and have purpose that brings fulfillment to our lives. Still, He hasn't left us alone. He's given us His list of what's bad and wrong. He stands by our side and speaks to our hearts. And He's told us the secret to making this world a better place -- Love one another, as I have loved you. (see John 13:34)