Page 95-96 – The Bottle House

Finally, the chaplain laid down his pen and returned his gaze to Stefan. Taking a deep breath, he said, “You know, we were talking about how it’s hard to take people at their word these days.”

Stefan nodded.

 “When God tells us something like, I will never leave you nor forsake you, because we have learned from our experiences that taking someone at his word isn’t prudent, it’s easy to conclude we can’t trust God’s word either. This can make it seem like God is not good or reliable, and in reaction to this, we may be angry at God.”

Chaplain Miller paused and stared at Stefan as if waiting for his full attention.

“Are you angry with God, Stefan?”

A fresh wave of grief and anger flowed over Stefan. When he answered, his tone sounded sharp. “Yes. I am.”

The chaplain offered a curt nod. “Your reaction to God is normal because you have learned that people frequently break promises. What we must do as Christians is not judge God’s actions or inactions based on our experiences with the human race.”