The Mystery of Collateral Damage

Scripture: A messenger came to Job and reported, "While the oxen were plowing and the donkeys grazing nearby, the Sabeans swooped down and took them away. They struck down the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!" Job 1:14-15

Observation: In the first attack on Job, four messengers report four catastrophes to Job. These involve the destruction of all his riches and possessions, and the death of his children. In every report, Job is told of what was lost, but also that the messenger himself is the only survivor ... sons, daughters, and servants of untold numbers were killed by the events.

This was supposed to be an attack on Job to test his faith and fear of the Lord. However, the execution of it brought utter destruction on an untold number of individuals - likely numbering in the dozens - who are caught in the wash so to speak. They die for no other reason than they are in relational proximity to Job. From any rational perspective, this is by far the worse of the outcomes. Job loses his family and property, but all these people are completely wiped from earthly existence, mostly just because they were properly doing their chores.

Application: There is a mystery I have often considered but never been able to get my head around. There are times that bad things happen to people here on earth, but the victims actually have no relationship to the bad event that impacts them. We see this all the time with disasters. However, it also happens with regards to what appears to be negative events either directed toward or triggered by an individual. I am especially reminded of a friend who lost 100 percent of his retirement funds when it was discovered that his company's executives committed fraud ... they were severely punished, but my friend lost so much in the way of earthly future security, yet he did nothing other than just being there in that company.

We see this happen all the time ... two people fight, violence breaks out, and a bystander is killed. And we still see this manifest in ways that are part of the crossover from the spiritual to physical world ... radicals who hate God perpetrate acts that kill hundreds of people who may or may not even have faith in the Lord, and are just going about their days.

This is a mystery to me, however we do see how this can be generated by the spiritual fight originating from satan - the source of lies of evil - directed at the Lord. Evil is so pervasive that it doesn't care about the collateral damage of the attacks. This creates a perception of randomness to the pain and suffering that is hard to understand let alone rationalize.

As a believer, there are negative things that happen to me and my family. Between family health concerns, personal pain, job stress, home repair issues, and even pet behavior, we are in fact currently standing in a major wave of such things in our lives that feels uncoincidental. These may be attacks against us. These may be attacks against someone else and we are just caught up in it. Either way, we will continue to look to God for comfort and strength, trusting in his ever-present love and long-term blessing.

Prayer: Lord, we do know you are not the storm that rages around us right now, but you are instead the still, small voice speaking to us about love, hope, and joy. Thank you for your protection that we know is here, even as problems rise. Amen.