“God Did Not Do This”

You may have caught some of the news conferences from Governor Andrew Cuomo, who serves in New York. Recently he made a comment about the better-than-expected results from the quarantine, and here are his exact words:

“God did not do that. Faith did not do that. Destiny did not do that. A lot of pain and suffering did that… That’s how it works. It’s math.”

My friends, this is one of the greatest errors in the world today — the belief that science and God are somehow mutually opposed. If I pray for someone to get better but they also take medicine and recover, who can we attribute that recovery to? God, or medicine? The answer: both.

Everything — literally everything — that we have is a gift from God. The insights of science, the power of medicine, the good decisions of government leaders — all of this comes as a free grace from God. Yes, we cooperate with that grace when doctors use their knowledge to heal, or when scientists develop a new medication. But without God we are not even granted another breath. All of our talents, gifts, money, health, community — all is a gift from God, and we are stewards — not owners — of these gifts.

Our modern world often tries to “control” everything, from birth to death – but life isn’t about control but cooperation with God, His plan, and His grace.

All of us — including Mr. Cuomo — would do well to remember that.

___

Originally published at The Cross Stands While the World Turns.
Photo: Kamil Feczko, Unsplash / PD-US
Fr. Joseph Gill

Fr. Joseph Gill

Fr. Joseph Gill grew up in a musical family in Frederick, MD, the oldest of five children. His father taught him piano from a young age, and his mother often sang in the church choir. He began writing songs very young, honing his skill further when he received his first guitar. After his conversion, he dedicated his life and his songwriting to the Lord. Fr. Gill was ordained a Catholic priest in May 2013. He is currently serving at the Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist, Stamford, Connecticut. He shares his homilies at The Cross Stands While the World Turns.

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8 thoughts on ““God Did Not Do This””

  1. Amen, Father! As the hymn says,
    “Every joy or trial falleth from above,
    Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
    We may trust Him fully, all for us to do;
    They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.”

  2. This is the man who takes credit for yet to be proven success but also whines to Washington DC to bail out the finances of a state that has no mismanaged its budget for the last decade.

  3. I think what the governor was addressing is the tendency of some high profile evangelical leaders to claim with utmost certainty that 1) God caused something bad to happen, 2) He did it out of revenge for specific human behavior and 3) they know what that behavior was or is. It’s amusing that the behavior almost always involves sex and never misogyny, racism, greed, gluttony, or any other major sin.

  4. God and the devil get way too much credit for the things that we bring upon ourselves spirea this virus came from filthy humans eating filthy animals and passed it on to the world nothing more nothing less deal with it.

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