No, the irony has not been lost on me. Last month I wrote about driving in torrential rain, just wanting it to stop. Now, six weeks later and no rain in sight, what would we give for just a little.

The older I get the more I realise how many questions I don’t have the answer for. Will it rain? I don’t know. Will England beat Croatia (as I write, the game is this evening) and possibly the world cup? I don’t know. Or something a bit deeper. After a tragic event I often get asked, ‘why did it happen?’ I don’t know.

Why do I mention this? The main reason is the two tragic news stories I’ve been reading today.

The first is the rescue attempt of 12 boys from a Thai youth football team and their coach who have been trapped in a flooded cave complex in Thailand for more than two weeks. I’ve just heard the rescue went well and the boys and their coach are now safe. Surely that’s great news, so where’s the tragedy? Last Saturday one of the divers tragically lost his life.

The second is the horrendous loss of life, at least 155 people, in Japan due to heavy rains and massive mudslides. I can only begin to imagine the pain that people affected by these tragedies are going through right now. My heart goes out to them and I’m praying for them. I’m also asking why?

In one sense the Bible answers that question for me. It tells me of the origin of evil, of the reason for suffering and general answers to my why question. Yet, it doesn’t give me the exact answer for each specific situation. So why did these events happen? I could give you some general answers, but if you want specifics my answer is; I don’t know.

Is that all the Bible says that can help us. No, it teaches two things that really help in the uncertainty. The first is that there is a God who is in control of all things. This means the world is not an accident and the things we see are not random occurrences. It might not answer the ‘why’ question, but it tells me that there is an answer, I just don’t know it.

The second is that the God who is in charge of all things is a good and loving God and I can trust him in all things. The Bible says, ‘God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8). In the darkest of times I can look to the cross, the historical place where Jesus Christ, God’s Son, suffered and died for sinners, and know that God’s love in real.

I don’t know what you think of the Bible. My experience has been that it is a book that gives real answers that work and help in the real world in which we live. A world that is not always simple and easy, but often hard and complex. So, I would encourage you to get a copy of the Bible and read for yourself what it says about the ‘why’ questions you may have. If you want to know more or have any questions why not get in touch?