Providence and the Persistence of Care

I've been working on the problem of evil for the science-faith newsletter I help edited (because it's a topic that comes up in science and religion discussions). Closely related is the doctrine of God's providence. Since that topic didn't make into the installment of the newsletter I just wrote (due to space), I'll put it in this blog. Here's an excerpt from my book Creation and Last Things.

Maybe a few of us, when we were kids, memorized the 1563 Heidelberg Catechism. It confesses—really almost proclaims—that God did not just wind the watch and let it keep ticking. 

Q: What do you understand by the providence of God?
A: The almighty and ever-present power of God whereby he still upholds, as it were by his own hand, heaven and earth together with all creatures, and rules in such a way that leaves and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and unfruitful years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, and everything else, come to us not by chance but by his fatherly hand.

These are comforting words that stand at the heart of the Christian faith. I know more than one crisis where they have strengthened me and others. Still, the reality of life forces “and yet” upon the catechism’s answer. And yet… those same people who make this stirring affirmation have also held a dying father in our arms. And yet… others have heard those three cruel words: “You have cancer.” And yet… almost all have watched scenes of war broadcast over satellite TV or dispersed through the Internet. Each of these presents a case against the goodness of creation. The comfort and assurance of God’s presence can fade. Evil hits us everyday like a prosecuting attorney, cross-examining nature as God’s witness, arguing a case against God’s care for the world.

At these moments, the doctrine of providence comes to the test. So it is important to understand what the term means. The word derives from two Latin roots (pro-videre) that mean to “fore-see,” which also includes the concept of looking ahead so as to “provide.” Webster’s definition is rather concise: “divine guidance or care.” From this foundation, Christian theologians have sorted out three related components to providence. (If you read again the question from the Heidelberg Catechism you will find each of them):

• Preservation: God sustains all creatures in their distinctive natures and powers
• Cooperation: God not only sustains but actively concurs in these creatures’ action in such an intimate way that every action of these beings can be ultimately explained only by reference to both their and God’s actions
• Government: God fulfills the purpose of all creatures by guiding them

Theologian, Thomas Oden, who has worked tirelessly and effectively to rejuvenate classical insights, summarizes providence this way in his book The Living God: 

“Three affirmations summarize the Christian teaching of providence: God is preserving the creation in being. God is cooperating to enable creatures to act. God is guiding all creatures, inorganic and organic, animal and rational creation, toward a purposeful end that exceeds the understanding of those being provided for." Thomas Oden

What then is the bottom line? God continues to interact with creation.

If I were to choose the basic biblical text on providence, it is that sometimes mis-applied passage from Romans: 

“We know that God works for the good in all things to those who love God and who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

The eminent English pastor and biblical scholar, John Stott, lists “five unshakable convictions” from this text. He first points out that what “we know” contrasts to verse 26, where Paul admits that “we do not know how to pray as we ought…," and then he writes,

1. God works: even when we do not see it—or believe it—God’s action on our behalf is constant. This is the essence of faith and the central conviction of providence.
2. for the good of the people of God: All things are done for our benefit. This affirmation does not mean that every single event is good!
3. in all things: In our lives, in the natural world, and even in suffering (verse 17 says that we “suffer with God” and that we have “groanings” with all creation in verses 23 and 24).
4. to those who love God: This is not a general statement, but one directed toward believers—and one should add not focused on individuals, but on the family of God as a whole.
5. who have been called according to his purpose: the key factor in determining “the good” is that it is ultimately for God’s plan

Even after these affirmations, Stott is quick to add, 

“These are five truths about God which, Paul, writes, we know. We do not always understand what God is doing, let alone welcome it. Nor are we told that he is at work for our comfort. But we know that in all things he is working towards our supreme good." John Stott

We must never deny evil because of our belief in God’s providence. Evil experiences are really evil. God, however, can work through them to make good. Ultimately this is a statement about God’s power, creativity, and goodness. God can improvise over bad notes to create a beautiful song. Therefore, Christians can echo Jeremiah’s declaration to the Israelite exiles: “’I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29.11).

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