Georgia Shooting Hostage Goes on the Offensive...with Faith in God
This is an amazing story:
Clarification: I won't go so far as Smith did (though I don't think she meant this) and say that God miraculously caused Nichols to escape. It is certainly astonishing that he did escape, but I think perhaps more in line, theologically, is that God can certainly bring about His purposes through even the worst circumstances. It must certainly be said that God allowed it to happen for reasons that are unknown to us, but that we may (or may not) at some point be able to discern what those reasons were.
"ATLANTA — For hours, Ashley Smith gently talked to the armed suspect in Atlanta's courthouse slayings, turning from hostage to confidant as they discussed God, family, pancakes and the massive manhunt going on outside her apartment.I don't know what is going to come of Nichols in the future (I hope Smith is right), but I know that there is only one source for the kind of peace and courage exhibited by Ashley Smith. It's something real inside when you lose your husband in a stabbing incident and still remain strong in your faith in God, especially in these kinds of circumstances. Read the entire story here.'I believe God brought him to my door,' Smith said Sunday, only hours after her 911 call ended a manhunt for Brian Nichols, who is accused of shooting four people since Friday.
Over the course of the night, Nichols untied Smith, and some of the fear lessened as they talked. Nichols told Smith he felt like 'he was already dead,' but Smith urged him to consider the fact that he was still alive a 'miracle.'
'You're here in my apartment for some reason,' she told him, saying he might be destined to be caught and to spread the word of God to fellow prisoners. She told him his escape from authorities had been a 'miracle.'
Smith, 33, later called 911 after she was freed, and police soon surrounded her suburban apartment complex. Nichols gave up peacefully, waving a white towel in surrender.
'I honestly think when I looked at him that he didn't want to do it anymore,' Smith said. If he did not give up, she told him, 'Lots more people are probably going get hurt and you're probably going to die.'"
Clarification: I won't go so far as Smith did (though I don't think she meant this) and say that God miraculously caused Nichols to escape. It is certainly astonishing that he did escape, but I think perhaps more in line, theologically, is that God can certainly bring about His purposes through even the worst circumstances. It must certainly be said that God allowed it to happen for reasons that are unknown to us, but that we may (or may not) at some point be able to discern what those reasons were.
Labels: David C. Price
posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 3/14/2005 08:46:00 AM
|
3 Comments:
I'm glad that Ms. Smith is alive and well, and even glad that her faith has served her well, but I can't agree with your saying, "I know that there is only one source for the kind of peace and courage exhibited by Ashley Smith." Do you mean to say that non-religious people cannot be peaceful or courageous under threat of death?
Also, when something good (but unlikely) happens, I hear people say that it was a miracle (meaning God made it happen.) But when something bad happens, it is said that God "allowed" it to happen (for reasons we cannot fathom.) Just my thoughts.
P.S. I'm able to post comments again (obviously).
Glad you're able to post again. I don't know what happened but glad it's fixed.
I don't mean to say that non-religious people absolutely cannot be courageous in threat of death, but I would attribute even that courage to the general grace of God. Having said that, when someone reacts in a way that Ms. Smith did, when everything points towards fear and despair and has that kind of peace (which I differentiate here from courage), I believe that is...how can I say, extra-human, if you will.
There is a peace that comes to one with a real faith in Christ that goes beyond a philosophical belief-system. It is a genuine certainty that, in spite of anything that can happen (and much could have), everything WILL be ok. Even if I die, I KNOW that I will be ok. I certainly believe anybody has the ability to face these kinds of circumstances with courage, but could you do it with peace that when all is said and done, you'll be ok after it's over? Christians have done if for centuries when faced with everything from being torn apart by lions, to beatings, to all types of tortures. Those early Christians wouldn't have done this had they known that the real miracle of Christ rising from the dead was a fake (which would have been EASY to prove. Even if the disciples stole the body THEY would have known it was a sham and would have great difficulty dying the way they did knowing it was a sham). I'm talking about much more than mere courage/bravery. The closest someone can come to claiming "peace" without God is that they hope to be annihilated, I suppose. Can that really be said to be peace? Is that what one hopes for their loved ones? Their parents? Their children?
Again, it's hard to communicate the difference between an ungrounded hope and a experiential certainty when one has not experienced it, but perhaps at least my explanation will suffice for the time being.
Secondly, I believe you are right to point out that many people mis-use the term "miracle." I just finished a paper on the subject and coming to a good definition is a difficult thing. However, generally speaking, a miracle is said to be something supernatural in which God shows that He is working...in other words, there is context in which one can tell God is communicating something to His people. It would not be said to be a miracle that the Boston Red Sox won the world series after 86 years of trying (though it's darn near it!!). But that I was climbing a vertical rock face and completely lost my grip without falling (with witnesses close by) I do consider miraculous (true story). One may try to explain it away, but when you experience it, first hand, explanations don't hold water.
For one who believes that God is sovereign over creation as the Bible says, then nothing happens outside of God's permissive will--meaning that if God didn't allow it, it wouldn't happen. There are many possibilities that have been offered as to why a good God would allow evil. One is that evil exists because God made truly free creatures with the capacity to make bad choices. Another is that God allows evil in the world and uses it in order to develop people into the kinds of persons He wants them to be (called a "soul-making theodicy"). There are numerous passages in the Bible that support this, but we experience this in life everyday. Most of the time, it is the difficult experiences in life in which we grow the most. Would we grow otherwise? Good question, but experience tells us probably not. Another possibility is that God simply has good reason of which we have no knowledge. This is a fair assessment because, if there is a God and He is good, by the very nature of being God, His thinking, understanding, perspectives, etc. must be higher than ours, thereby making that possibility not too far-fetched.
Personally, I think any of these are viable possibilities. I don't necessarily expect someone who doesn't believe there is a God to buy into this, but given the nature of our world, how does anything "good" happen without an intelligent God? I can give account for evil, but I'm not sure I've heard of a good explanation for "good." For that matter, where does objective good or evil come from to start with? Further, is there a way to know absolutely, without a doubt, that there cannot possibly be the existence of a God? I find it hard to believe that someone can truly be atheistic since with that comes the certainty that the fact is an absolute impossibility. But it seems this would require some kind of omniscience which most atheists don't claim to possess. I can understand agnosticism to some degree, but I have a difficult time understanding true atheism.
Nevertheless, all that to say the reason there is the distinction "miracle" and "allowance" is because if there is a God (a being worthy of worship because of His greatness), He must necessarily be good and unable to be evil; the greatest of all possible beings or else THAT being that is greater would be "god." In that sense, all good flows necessarily from God (though many good things that happen are not categorized as "miraculous") and evil cannot find its source in God (though it CAN, logically, find its source in a truly free being created by an all-good God).
Certainly, I do not pretend to have all answers to all of life's tough questions, but I have found that the Christian worldview gives greater account for the things in life that other worldviews simply do not. That's not pride...if I didn't think it was the truth, I'd abandon this worldview in a second. I've simply lived it and found it absolutely true. I don't stake my life or future on something I think is some fantasy world. I know the difference. Most people do.
Anyway, long-winded response and I apologize if I've bored you, but I felt your thoughts worthy of as good a response as I can offer. Thanks, GravityBear.
I liked your answer David. There are a lot more variables in lifes situations then some Christians would make out to believe. First of all the only word for chance used in the NT was used by Jesus. Our choices to be truly free are truly creative and have not existed previously even in the mind of God. To talk about a Christian view is limited to what type of Christain view in that there are many conflicting and competing Christain views out there. The problem is we don't take the freedom we do have and let God speak to us in lifes daily decisions as this women did. She is a true heroin of Faith and needs the respect of all.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home