It's a very common misconception that nearly every Christian embraces without question: God works all things together for our good. Now, it's easy to
i grew up in a very small town in PA. The Allegheny National Forest was LITERALLY my back yard. And my front yard too. We camped often during my youth. And I always loved nature. I also grew up during the time when people were beginning to recognize the effecct that industrialization had on the environment and to become alarmed about it. This led me to become and environmentalist. Later I learned that Christians are “the hands and feet” of Jesus. Jesus has no hands or feet on earth EXCEPT US. And what we do, we do in His name. We are co-creators with Christ. What an honor and privelege!! When our son was born, I asked my husband to read Romans 8 to me during labor. It’s about how life (and labor) can be very difficult, but through our works we will bring forth a new life (a new Earth). It is why I am a “social justice Christian.” I believe that G-d wants us to take care of the poor, the widowed, the orphan, the refugee, the prisoner, our dying planet, and many other disenfranchised and neglected and maligned people. It’s what Jesus did. He hung out with the people that his society said were all the wrong people. Willl G-d work all things together for good? Yes, if we will work in accordance with His Spirit. (Unfortunately, it seems we often work against it.)
