I think it was the TV show Maude which had the recurring line, “God will get you for that.” When we see something unjust happening we easily imagine God with a thunderbolt about to smite someone. But God is not Zeus, as Jesus reminds us: “Do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means!” We should not imagine those who are suffering as being punished in some way. The flip side is also true. We can imagine that God will bless the good people and reward them. However, those who are prosperous are not more blessed by God than others. The world has its own logic of cause and effect that operates according to its own pattern. God’s blessings or punishments are not necessarily those which are recognized on a balance sheet or medical chart but are experienced in a loving heart and a compassionate soul.
