Is Anyone Listening?

Job 23

Another tough week in our history. North Korea has tested a nuclear bomb. This makes the world fearful. No one knows when and how these bombs will be used. Human beings are strange. And what if these bombs are sold in the black market?

We read in The Guardian: “So what now? North Korea is the fourth, possibly fifth, state to have rejected the 1970 non-proliferation treaty and proceeded towards a nuclear arsenal. The others are India, Pakistan, Israel and perhaps Iran. That makes five states in the old nuclear club (America, Russia, Britain, France and China) and five in the new one. The appropriate relationship, diplomatic, military and moral, between the two clubs is now a consuming world obsession.”¹

A week ago when the gunman opened fire on innocent schoolchildren, many of us, including their parents, asked the question: Why? The government held a conference about the safety of our schools.

Why should these children suffer for something they have nothing to do with? Why these children and not others? Is the world getting mad?

We could have complaints. Where do you send them?

In some institutions and governmental offices in the Middle East there is a box called: “Complaint box”. However, I am not sure whether anyone takes opening these boxes seriously!

Lately I found that since we live in modern-times, we can write complaints on the internet. Yes, indeed, there is a website: www.ripoffreport.com. It is a place where you can send your complaints. There is also an agency called Better Business Bureau. Their job is to help solve problems between the consumer and the company. Well, sometimes no one listens to you, so you can go to this website and publicize your complaint. Your complaint can stay on the internet as long as you want and as long as this company exists, I guess.

Today when we read the book of Job, we see a complaint:

“Even today my complaint is bitter;

His hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.

If only I knew where to find him;

If only I could go to his dwelling.” (23:1-3)

The story of Job is tough one. According to the Bible, he was a righteous man. Satan challenged God saying that Job is a good man because he has many blessings and a good life. God allowed Satan to “stir up” things to see if Job will change. Job lost everything: his wealth, his family, his health… everything. Also, on top of all these problems, he receives a visit from his friends. They come and they cannot talk with Job for seven days and nights. Job is in extreme suffering. Then they tell him that all these happened because he did something wrong.

We can understand that if someone is drunk and driving, there will be consequences. If someone is cheating, or stealing, there will be a consequence. Smoking can cause cancer. What about the ones who do not smoke and have lung cancer? There are many questions? Where and whom to ask?

Job wants to register his complaint. If there were computers, he would have sent it to this website. But you see his complaint is against God. How do we approach God?

We will continue in English.

1 Guardian Unlimited/Comment is Free/ Accept North Korea into the nuclear club