The Dawson Creek Mirror, FEBRUARY 17, 2022
7
POTIONS WITH MERLIN
NICHOLS: Theodicy: now what is that? It’s a big word for a question that has been studied and analyzed for thousands of years, seemingly without answer. Except there is an answer. Even Socrates (d. 399 BC) may have dipped his toe in the debate. This is the question: If God is so big, so good, so loving, and so powerful, why doesn’t He do something about the mess this world is in. So, defend the ways of God to me. For those of you who don’t believe in a God other than yourselves (believe it or not, like it or not, you will worship something or someone), you have a problem. You must explain to rational minds how we got here (come now, that explanation flies in the face of your own science), why we are here (same thing), why we stay here in the face of a meaningless experience (that’s a tough one), and where we are going when we finish this “futile” tour of pain and passing pleasure. From the evolutionary perspective here’s the answer to the last question: We’ll be dusting about as elemental particles in the stratosphere until a rain drop captures us and returns us to earth to merge with life newly emerging in the biosphere. So, eat, drink, tell merry jokes, get what you can by any means available, but don’t get caught, envy those who have more than you have, run up massive debt because who cares when you’re gone. Don’t think beyond the moment and just do it. You’ll be a long time in the stratosphere. By the way, in the materialistic-chance understanding of existence that we partially described above, there is no possibility of free will. Enough of that. You don’t really believe it. Or do you? To the Theodicy – a very brief illustration! Let’s assume the contrary-to-popular understanding of existence: we were placed on this earth by an all-powerful, all-knowing, allcapable, totally loving Creator. You still with me?
New to the Mirror -
At the time this earth was set in orbit and given to humanity as a forever legacy, it was a paradise of beauty and sustainability. It might have remained so except for the choice we humans made to exercise our free will contrary to good sense. You see, a totally loving Creator made people to love like He loved. This is not the sentimental love that springs up when boy meets girl – though that is a desirable part of our experience that has survived the ravages of centuries. Creator love is that which puts others first, doing for others what you would like others to do for you. Our Creator intended that we freely love Him in return for the love He had for His creation. Love requires freedom of choice, a free will. A robot cannot love, though it might vacuum the carpet. Love cannot be forced, nor be the product of chance knockings together of inanimate elements; for love to exist, there must be freedom not to love. An environment in which love flourishes must, by nature, be free, an environment in which intelligent beings can choose not to love. Our first ancestors, way back just after Creation, in exercising their free will, that defining element of humanity, chose to listen to the adversary who deceived them into unplugging from Love, into charting their own course independent of their Creator. They had been warned. They knew there was danger even in a perfect Creation, yet they gave in to deception and rebelled against their Maker. Extinction would be the natural result. Now what? The Creator, because of His nature of love, did not want extinction. Yet He could not allow evil with its pain, sickness, alienation, and death, to blight His perfect creation – for ever. For a while?
Yes, for a while, for as long as it would take to show intelligent beings throughout the universe the results of rebellion and the full extent of the Creator’s love. Some of us, like me, are slow learners; others are simply hard to convince. We experience the results of rebellion throughout life: disappointment, separation, loss, fear, pain, anger, hopelessness, betrayal, and, although we try to duck it, in the end, we kick the bucket. Goodbye, old timer, it’s been good (sometimes) to know you. And that’s it? It would be except for … What about the full extent of the Creator’s love for humanity? Of course. He showed the full extent at Calvary on the crucifixion cross, an ugly, embarrassing, and horribly painful way to linger into death. Yet He went willingly, taking the penalty for our rebellion, along with our sins to the grave. What more could He do? He could rise again. He’s now at the command centre of the universe preparing the eternal home, free from all the results of rebellion, where those who choose to reconnect with Him will be accepted as eternal residents of Paradise restored. Those who have died believing in His promise will be raised to life at the brightness of His return to be caught up together with those believers still living to meet Him in the sky. Soon! Awesome! And you don’t even have to know the meaning of theodicy. Just know the One who is coming for you. There’s much more to the story but you’ll have to read it elsewhere. Merlin Nichols Columnist
The Adventures of Ace O’Hara
Ace O’Hara was an interesting British strip which appeared originally in the Daily Dispatch. Ace O’Hara was a nicely scripted science-fiction feature appearing in the Melbourne Australian Age from 8 Nov 1954 to
3 Aug 1964. The long-running Mercury Features strip was bylined Basil Blackaller until his death in 1958 when Tony Speer took over the illustration. The writer was Conrad Frost.
You will catch a year’s worth of his adventures in this space below each week! editor@dcdn.ca