<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter Snyder How about a little intentional humor to start our day? Of course, this must have happened somewhere else, because our public officials are much more responsive: A pastor awoke one morning to find a dead donkey in his front yard. He had no idea how it got there, but he knew he had to get rid of it. So he called the sanitation department, the health department, and several other agencies, but no one seemed able to help him. In desperation, the good reverend called the mayor and asked what could be done. The mayor must have been having a bad day. "Why bother me?" he asked. "You're a preacher; it's your job to bury the dead." The pastor lost his cool, "Yes," he snapped, "but I thought I should at least notify the next of kin." Q: I have one question that I cannot for the life of me figure out; God is perfect, omniscient, and omnipresent, with a perfect plan for the world and for man. Why would a God with these characteristics create an imperfect being, knowing perfectly well that this being would need God to become human to save his imperfection from damnation? A: Your question ultimately touches the mysteries of God which we are not permitted to view or understand. Yet, it is clear from Scripture (e.g., the story of Creation in Genesis) that God made people "holy," and "in His image." Man was not imperfect, but was given a choice - a choice he lived to regret. Connected to all of this are the attributes of God you mention, plus much more. The Doctrine of Election, the attributes of Grace and Mercy, and more all tie in with this. God created everything to glorify Himself. He also created man to be in a relationship with Himself. Just as He didn't create evil, so God didn't create imperfection. These were perversions invented by His creatures. I marvel at a God who knew that this would happen and, from all eternity, planned salvation (not only for all people, but even for me). He knew that in the Person of the Son, He would take on human flesh and frailty, would suffer and would die. He created planning to recreate, and we can never know what His reasoning was, since He says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways." (My dad would say, "None of your business." I like the Lord's way of speaking - it lets me down a lot easier.) To close us out, how about a little more levity? A man was talking to the Lord while on his deathbed. "Lord, I know the saying about not being able to take it with you. Yet I have spent my whole life collecting my vast wealth, giving much to the Church. I would be heartbroken if I couldn't take at least some of it with me when I die." "Well," said the Lord, "Normally we don't allow such a thing. Such items are just not necessary here. However, since I can see how important your wealth is to you, I'll permit you to take one suitcase filled with whatever you wish." The man eagerly began planning for what he could take with him. Finally, to maximize his wealth per cubic inch, he decided to pack the case full of gold bars. The next day he arrived at St. Peter's desk by the pearly gates. Peter welcomed him and offered to escort him to his new room. "But," said Peter, "you'll have to leave the suitcase here. We don't permit items from earth to come into heaven." The man said, "The Lord gave me permission to take one suitcase filled with whatever I wished." Peter checked his book. The man was right. There was a special exemption of the "no wealth" clause just for him. "Okay," said Peter, "Let's see what you have." The man laid his suitcase on Peter's desk and opened it for inspection. Peter examined the contents and turned to the man with a puzzled look on his face. "You brought paving stones?" That's it for now. Remember to "Ask the Pastor" at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951 or via the Internet through xrysostom@aol.com. You can also stop me on the street for a chat. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville, Texas, and coauthor of "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1996 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.