Meaghan McGann Dr. Johnson. BITH 315 2 October 2015 Short Response #3 Billing asks a very provoking question: “what if I’m not healed because I don’t have ‘enough faith?"(56). For me this brings to mind an even broader question, why do some experience the externally miraculous works of God and not others? Billings discusses his thoughis regarding what he could have possibly done to have caused his cancer—-even if it was something he himself did, he would rather have himself to blame and a tangible reason for his cancer than no explanation at all. Why does God place us in our particular circumstances? I had ‘an interesting conversation with my brother this summer about the circumstances we have been. placed in within our own family, He said that in many ways, we have been handed so much in, terms of our faith, We grew up in a Christian home with parents who model how to pursue the Lord; we went to Christian schools; we go to Christian college. In terms of foundation for our faith and accountability for growth, we were given a ton, With that it's so easy to be prideful. It's 80 easy to be so settled in where I'm at in my faith, because I’ve felt surrounded by access to ‘Christian knowledge’(though this class is definitely teaching me that I actually know very little), Thave had a lot of exposure and it's all been relatively easy. So where have I been working on my faith? I have been given so much, but what growth have I pursued on my own? IfT’m being honest, I don't think I have pursued much growth, I talk about the ideas of growth and spiritual maturity but then I don't make any conscious effort. I don't do that because I don't want to grow, I think Ido it because I've never realized the real work and change and responsibility that Ciristianity cntails. [ have subconsciously bought into the idea that a life of Christianity is an equation for happiness. If I can make myself believe everything's A-okay then I am a good Christian and my walk with God is great. As Billings notes, this is not the case! Being a faithful follower of God is inclusive of every circumstance and emotional sphere. The writers of the Psalms illustrate this beautifully in the manner in which they ery out to God: expressing praise to Jament to anger to joy to protest. When our circumstances reveal the imperfection in the world our response should not be to fake happiness, but to live in the truth of the situation and use that to tum to God. I love the way Billings describes how the processes of lament and protest serve as reminders that the world is not as it should be. The fullness of God’s kingdom is not yet here. I am to pursue God in this broken world, allowing the manner in which Live to be a protest to the very brokenness around me and a demonstration of the hope that the fullness of God’s kingdom is still to come.