Why Is This the Best of All Possible Worlds?
[First published July 29, 2018]
I can't remember whether it was in high school or college when I stumbled through the pages of Candide, an 18th century novel by Voltaire. I only remember this haunting sentence, repeated over and over when Candide confronts any horrific event: "All is for the best in this best of all possible worlds."
That satirical refrain stuck with me, I guess, because I didn't know if I agreed with Candide's naivete or Voltaire's mockery of that philosophy.
Take alcoholism, for example. The degradation of personality and health doesn't fit into a "best of all possible worlds." I felt embarrassed among friends and family and hated myself with a hatred I thought I could never forgive.
Then I found God again. I believed I had found him every time before I relapsed, but the wicked voice inside me, tempting me, was stronger than God's. This current stretch of sobriety feels much different. For the first time, I understand what A.A. people mean when they refer to a "dry drunk." That was me.
But I am different now. I understand my character defects so that I can turn them over to God and eliminate them. I understand others' suffering with addiction and feel in a better position to support them. When I speak at A.A. meetings, I can feel God speaking through me. Heck, I don't talk like that. Where in heaven's name are these words coming from?
The question remains: Does everything happen "for the best in this best of all possible worlds?" My healing tells me it does.
So then what about wars and murders and rapes and cheating and lying and stealing and death and fires and hurricanes and earthquakes and.... The list goes on. I have come to believe that God uses bad stuff to make us better. Just as my alcoholism has made me a better person than I would be if I had never taken a drink, God leads us through such dark times.
Here is a good explanation. It comes from Rick Warren in The Purpose-Driven Life. "Our greatest lessons come out of pain, and the Bible says God keeps a record of our tears. Whenever problems occur, remember that God uses them to fulfill all five purposes in your life: Problems force you to focus on God, draw you closer to others in fellowship, build Christ-like character, provide you with a ministry, and give you a testimony. Every problem is purpose-driven."
See a video of Godspell's "Yes, It's All for the Best," which ironically closes with a view of the Twin Towers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL6d0ASmvfs
I can't remember whether it was in high school or college when I stumbled through the pages of Candide, an 18th century novel by Voltaire. I only remember this haunting sentence, repeated over and over when Candide confronts any horrific event: "All is for the best in this best of all possible worlds."
That satirical refrain stuck with me, I guess, because I didn't know if I agreed with Candide's naivete or Voltaire's mockery of that philosophy.
Take alcoholism, for example. The degradation of personality and health doesn't fit into a "best of all possible worlds." I felt embarrassed among friends and family and hated myself with a hatred I thought I could never forgive.
But I am different now. I understand my character defects so that I can turn them over to God and eliminate them. I understand others' suffering with addiction and feel in a better position to support them. When I speak at A.A. meetings, I can feel God speaking through me. Heck, I don't talk like that. Where in heaven's name are these words coming from?
The question remains: Does everything happen "for the best in this best of all possible worlds?" My healing tells me it does.
So then what about wars and murders and rapes and cheating and lying and stealing and death and fires and hurricanes and earthquakes and.... The list goes on. I have come to believe that God uses bad stuff to make us better. Just as my alcoholism has made me a better person than I would be if I had never taken a drink, God leads us through such dark times.
Here is a good explanation. It comes from Rick Warren in The Purpose-Driven Life. "Our greatest lessons come out of pain, and the Bible says God keeps a record of our tears. Whenever problems occur, remember that God uses them to fulfill all five purposes in your life: Problems force you to focus on God, draw you closer to others in fellowship, build Christ-like character, provide you with a ministry, and give you a testimony. Every problem is purpose-driven."
See a video of Godspell's "Yes, It's All for the Best," which ironically closes with a view of the Twin Towers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL6d0ASmvfs
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