Scooby Doo - where are you??? Warning there is swearing in this episode.

 



 

I used to love Scooby Doo as a child (being honest, I still do) - I can still sing the theme song and love doing a less than recognisable version of his voice.

"If it wasn't for you pesky (meddling) kids....." was the line at the end of every episode as the ghost/vampire/werewolf/cloud of multi-coulored gas/witch doctor was un-masked and proved (yet again) to be the old guy we met at the beginning of the episode trying to scare people off and make more money.

I didn't realise that as I watched Scooby and Shaggy (and later, regrettably Scrappy) and the gang go around in the Mystery Machine defeating bad guys that my theological education had begun.

Far too many people in the world imagine (or are told) that the monsters we see of and hear of are God. All these disasters that befall our world are God's doing. But if we wait until the end of the episode - every time we have the God-monster cornered we take off the mask and see a human face. God does not do these things. People may claim God does but when we reach up and take off God's mask - it's never him. Never ever God.

So here is where I stopped writing yesterday, convinced I'd finish it today and post it...little did I know it would become so relevant over night.

13 people have been killed in a Washington naval yard and yet again the monster is human. I could list a hundred horrors and in each one of them the monster is always human. Looking at the news sites today we see stories of Syria and war crimes, we read of child abuse and murder and in everyone of them the monster behind the horror has a human face.

I'm just waiting to see who will be the first to blame it all on God - God is doing this because.....(insert ridiculously stupid reason here!) Somewhere a fanatical preacher will try and tell anyone who will listen that God has seen the evil of mankind and has visited (insert random disaster/shooting/horror here) upon us as retribution. Am I allowed to say bulls**t? - because that's what it is.

EDIT - I didn't have to wait too long - here'e a tweet from Westbro Baptist Church

You commit violence vs God & man @DeptofDefense! Today God repays you to your face! #NavyYardShootings #abortion #war #adultery #sodomy #SSM

After the bushfires of Black Saturday of 2009 Danny Nalliah (pastor of Catch the Fire Ministries) claimed that the bushfires were God's retribution for the fact that Victoria abolished abortion laws. He offended 1000's of people with that comment and of course the media picked it up and said this is what the Church is saying.

OF COURSE WE'RE NOT! We're not saying anything of the sort.

Mr. Nalliah, if you are reading this - stop claiming to speak for the Christians of Australia because I know more than a few Christians who don't subscribe to your 'God as an angry, vengeful bastard' idea. Many of us believe that God is a God of love and not the Eternal Headmaster waiting, looking, eagerly searching for a reason to cosmicly cane us.

By the way, just in passing, this is the same Mr. Nalliah who claimed, in writing, in 2007;

"I will boldly declare that Prime Minister John Howard will be re-elected in the November election (if the Body of Christ unites in prayer and action) and pass the leadership onto Peter Costello sometime after.

I know this prophetic declaration is very controversial, but at this critical crossroad in our nation’s destiny, it’s not time to tickle the ears of man, but to please the Father in Heaven, by boldly proclaiming His Authoritative Word of Righteousness, Justice, and Truth to the Church and Nation!"

Oops!

The Washington naval shootings, the bush fires, 9/11, and any and all the horrors that happen in our world are not God's divine revenge for something humanity has done wrong.

Learn from Scooby Doo. Reach up and take the mask off - the monster is NEVER God - God is loving and caring, coming to us in the form of Jesus to share our pain not inflict more.

So people ask where is God in all this suffering? - God is right there, in the middle of it, feeling every hurt, sharing every tear - the power behind the hand that help and the voice behind the word that calms. That's where God is - standing by those in need, calling us to do the same.