God Of The Whirlwind: Confronting Chaos From The Margins

In seminary, I took a whole class on the Book of Job. It was taught by one of my favorite professors, who happens to be the expert on the subject, and what I remember most from our studies is how Job’s afflictions introduced him to the reality of chaos in the world.

Once a respected leader in his community, Job finds himself in the margins, ostracized and humiliated by sickness and poverty.

I got my own taste of chaos three years ago when I finally confronted my attraction to women, a terrifying secret I buried deeply at the age of 13.

Coming out in my twenties turned my world upside down. Quite literally, my orientation changed. Everything I thought I knew about myself, my relationships, and my values was up for debate.

Job’s afflictions brought him face to face with a similar kind of confusion. He was a righteous man, he obeyed God, and yet, he suffered. Suddenly, the traditional theodicies Job’s friends embrace are insufficient and cruel. No, Job wasn’t being punished for any misdeeds, and no, he’d done nothing to deserve God’s wrath.

How, then, could Job find comfort in this strange and cruel world? 

Much to Job’s surprise, God descends in a whirlwind to put Job’s plight into perspective. Rather than apologize for or explain Job’s pain, the God of the whirlwind offers a vision of creation that makes room for chaos.

As my former professor Dr. Carol Newsom describes it, “the chaotic, although present, is contained within the secure boundaries of a created order that is also rich with goodness.”

Human existence is plagued by confusion, pain, and suffering. And yet, the sun still rises, and the sun still sets. God remains in control.

Even more striking is God’s blessing of the wild animals (sound familiar?) and the forsaken wilderness where Job finds himself. Dr. Newsom explains: 

God’s nurture of and pleasure in the animals of the wasteland is a provocative image….They seem so alien, so far outside the bounds of the ordinary social life that most people take as normative. But that is to view them from Job’s perspective. From God’s perspective, there is no alien outsider; there are only children of God. 

The God of the whirlwind reminds Job that God is already present in the places we deem most dreadful, and yes, even in the margins! 

Gay and lesbians are familiar with the margins. A friend recently told me he’s grateful for his gayness because it’s a gift of perspective, a hard reality that forces him to confront the perils of privilege in our society.

This gift of perspective was recently granted to Senator Rob Portman, a former opponent of same-sex marriage who reversed his position after his son came out. Though appreciative of his support, many gays and lesbians were upset that Senator Portman was unsympathetic to their struggles until they affected his own life, his own son.

Like Job, Senator Portman was blind to the margins until the margins came to him.

This is why Jesus is such a powerful example for us all. In the Gospels, we see a Son of God who sits with the poor, the marginalized, and the afflicted. This is also why Catholic researcher Joseph Amodeo finds hope in Pope Francis, who is well-accustomed to visiting the margins and may very well use this perspective to extend compassion to LGBT folks around the world.

I know what it feels like to have my world turned upside down.

I know how terrifying it can be to question everything, like Job had to do when his understanding of God was completely destroyed.

This is why I have compassion for Christians who oppose marriage equality. Visiting the margins and truly hearing the stories of gays and lesbians can change a person’s theology. Yes, it’s only a matter of six verses, but it feels like so much more is at stake.

Questioning our interpretation of these “clobber passages” can shift the very foundations of our biblical understanding.

This chaos causes folks to wonder: if the Bible doesn’t condemn homosexuality like we thought, then what can we believe?

These are the same questions Job asked when his theology crumbled.

God’s response to Job reminds us that nothing is certain: life is chaotic, and at any moment, an illness, financial insecurity, or a daughter’s coming out can threaten the foundation of our comfortable world. But we owe it to ourselves, our LGBT neighbors, and future generations of Christians to ask the tough questions about our theologies.

Holding onto the belief that homosexuality is a sin is more than unfair; it discounts the greatness and mystery of the God of the whirlwind.

Tough questions will arise when we question parts of our theology, but as in the book of Job, we can draw strength from a God who contains even the greatest chaos, a God who sends rain to the desolate and blessings to the margins.

Header art via Mary Button: Job’s Wife, Women of the Bible Series