Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere

As part of her job at The Today Show, she wakes up to the “Overnight Note,” a summary of tragic and disturbing headlines from around the world, which often feels like a barrage of negativity. Despite the rewarding aspects of her job, these constant reminders of the world’s suffering can be spiritually and emotionally draining.

Guthrie reflects on the broader implications of living in a world where bad news is omnipresent. She acknowledges that everyone faces this bombardment of negativity, which can lead to feelings of despair and hopelessness. This leads her to a contemplation of faith, doubt, and the human need for hope.

She candidly discusses her own struggles with doubt, including the fear that perhaps the comforting beliefs in redemption and eternal life are mere fabrications. However, she concludes that choosing to believe in something greater—regardless of whether it is ultimately true—provides a more hopeful and fulfilling way to live. Guthrie argues that maintaining faith and hope, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, is preferable to succumbing to cynicism and despair.

Quoting N. T. Wright, she emphasizes that while people may not understand the existence of evil and suffering, individuals are promised a future where all will be made right. Guthrie finds solace in the biblical promise of a world where God will wipe away one’s tears and eliminate death, sorrow, and pain.

Ultimately, Guthrie encourages individuals to choose hope daily. She believes that living with hope and faith, despite the uncertainties and challenges, is a better way to navigate life. This choice, she argues, is reaffirmed every morning, providing new opportunities to embrace compassion and love, as reflected in the verse from Lamentations 3:22-23.

Laura, Guthrie’s friend, had recently endured a traumatic experience, losing a pregnancy and almost her life due to poor medical advice. After seeking various forms of healing, Laura found herself stronger and more confident, believing that perhaps her suffering was part of a journey designed by God to bring her to a better place.

Guthrie reflects on the common tendency to attribute meaning to suffering, often suggesting that “everything happens for a reason” (221) or viewing hardships as divine lessons. She recalls her own attempts to rationalize her father’s untimely death and the idea that it might have been a form of divine mercy. However, she ultimately rejects the notion that God causes suffering to teach lessons or that natural disasters are “acts of God” (221).

Instead, Guthrie argues that believing in a loving God means rejecting the idea that God inflicts pain on people. She emphasizes that God is compassionate and does not need to cause suffering to achieve his purposes. This perspective, she claims, is crucial because viewing God as a source of pain can undermine trust and create distance between individuals and their faith.

Guthrie asserts that while God does not cause suffering, he can transform it into something meaningful. She draws on the biblical story of Joseph, who forgave his brothers for selling him into slavery, recognizing that what they intended for harm, God used for good. Guthrie considers this transformation of suffering into purpose to be a hallmark of God’s work, turning weeping into dancing and redeeming seemingly hopeless situations.

Guthrie concludes that the world is broken, filled with accidents, unfairness, and suffering, but God promises to be present with individuals, to transform pain into something good. This ability to bring about redemption and meaning from suffering is, in her view, the true “act of God” (225).

Guthrie grapples with the question of why a loving and omnipotent God allows suffering. She reflects on the biblical story of Job, a man who endured immense suffering despite his faithfulness, and how this story unsettles her.

Guthrie recounts an emotional interview with Nelba Márquez-Greene, a mother who lost her daughter in the Sandy Hook massacre. Nelba’s faith remained strong despite her devastating loss. Her faith journey, influenced by a Bible study on Job, prepared her for the unimaginable grief she faced. Nelba shared a transformative experience where, in her deepest despair, she dreamed of having her daughter back but in a world without God. This dream reinforced her commitment to faith, even in sorrow.

Guthrie acknowledges that such tragedies challenge faith but finds solace in Nelba’s perspective. Nelba’s faith teaches that while suffering may remain inexplicable, faith provides the strength to endure. Guthrie concludes that faith is about choosing to live with unanswered questions, believing that one day, in the presence of God, all will be understood, and suffering will be no more.

Timothy Keller, a pastor Guthrie admired, faced death with an eager anticipation to see Jesus. Keller, who greatly influenced Guthrie’s understanding of God through his teachings at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, passed away in 2023 after a long battle with cancer. Despite his illness, Keller remained steadfast in his faith, expressing a deep desire to be reunited with Jesus in the afterlife.

Guthrie contrasts Keller’s calm acceptance and hopeful outlook on death with her own fears and uncertainties about the afterlife. She admires Keller’s ability to view death not as a fearful unknown but as a reunion with a familiar friend, Jesus. This perspective brings her comfort, knowing that in the face of death, she too can rely on the promise of being greeted by someone she knows and loves.

Keller’s teachings, marked by their scholarly yet emotional depth, had a lasting impact on Guthrie. His famous declarations, such as “You are simultaneously more sinful and flawed than you ever dared believe, yet more loved and accepted than you ever dared hope” (237), resonate with her. Even in his final moments, Keller’s faith remained unshaken, serving as an example for Guthrie and many others.

Guthrie concludes by acknowledging the human experience of holding both belief and doubt simultaneously. She finds solace in the idea that Jesus is the connection between this world and the next, and that his presence provides a bridge to eternity. Keller’s unwavering faith and hopeful anticipation of seeing Jesus continue to inspire Guthrie as she navigates her own faith journey.