I see trees of green, red roses too, I see them bloom, for me and you, And I think to myself What a wonderful world.  I see skies of blue, and clouds of white, the bright blessed day, The dark sacred night And I think to myself, What a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky, are also on the faces of people going by I see friends shaking hands Saying, “How do you do?” They’re really saying I love you.

I hear babies cry I watch them grow They’ll learn much more Than I’ll ever know, And I think to myself What a wonderful world Yes, I think to myself What a wonderful world.
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I begin almost every morning by listening to Louis Armstrong’s scratchy, unique voice crooning out those familiar lyrics. Listening to Armstrong proclaim the wonders of the world precedes even the reading of scripture or devotions.

My grandfather had a green thumb when it came to growing roses. Passersby would stop and gaze in admiration at the rows of glorious flowers that adorned the fence and sidewalk. There is wonder in the incredible beauty of a rose, a rainbow, a pristine blue sky. I spent time on the phone with a friend whom I have not seen for quite a while. We didn’t get to shake hands, but the conversation ended with “Love you guys.” A young mom posted pictures of her newborn son on social media. The smiles, pride, and great joy that new life brings may for a moment allow one to say, “what a wonderful world.”

But. . .the early morning texts arrive. A young woman dies in a tragic car accident. A young father suddenly collapses and dies in front of his teenage son. A cancer diagnosis with a tragic prognosis. That was before noon.

Can I still sing, “What a wonderful world?”

When the age-old question arises, “why do bad things happen to good people” people of faith struggle to make sense of incomprehensible tragedies. We just don’t have answers.

When Jesus and his disciples met a man born blind the disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” It was a common belief that physical illness was the result of sin, even prenatal sin could be the cause of physical malady.

To this question Jesus replied, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” (John 9:2-3)

The question immediately arises, “how are God’s mighty works revealed in the sudden death of a young person or the terminal illness of a beloved sibling”? We’re angry. Frustrated. Hurt. Disillusioned.

In the biblical story Jesus healed the man born blind and following a succession of encounters with the religious authorities the man became a witness to Jesus. Great! But my friend’s daughter was killed. A young father is still dead. And my friend’s brother is still dying an agonizing, lingering death.

We want to hold someone accountable. It is human nature to lash out and assign blame.

These are some of the very personal tragedies that impact thousands of lives each day. But human tragedy includes wars and genocide. Human tragedy includes racism, sexism, and all the manifestations of hatred that are played out each day in our communities, country, and around the globe.

But each morning I listen to Satchmo, declare “What a Wonderful World.” It seems incongruent to hum that tune in a world filled with such grief and tragedy. And on the surface, it appears rather silly.

The potential for a wonderful world lies in the actions and attitudes of God’s children. I do not have the power to heal a person born blind, I do not have the power to restore life to a teenage girl, or a young father. However, God’s works will be revealed in my response to those persons hurting and in seemingly inconsolable pain.

The children of God run headlong into the pain of other people’s lives. God’s children stand shoulder to shoulder with those whose lives are wrecked by human tragedy. The image of God finds its fullest expression when those who bear the name of Christ incarnate Christ in their loving response to the broken-hearted. We cannot heal. We do not have words sufficient to take away the sting of death. However, we run to the side of the broken, we challenge the hatred of racism, sexism, bigotry in all its forms. We practice justice.

Human beings are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). That does not mean that we look like God, nor does it mean that there is a bit of divinity in each of us. Rather, the image of God means that we are here to represent God. An analogy would be to an ambassador to a foreign country. That ambassador represents the interests of the country which appointed him or her to that post. For all intents and purposes the ambassador is the country. That’s it, sisters and brothers, God relies on us to represent God in this world in which we live. Sadly, we don’t often do our job very well.

God is not the God of one nation or one people. Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost assured the listeners that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21 cf. Joel 2:32). Those who want to create a nation under God do not do so under the direction of the God of the biblical record, but rather from a misguided nationalism that excludes the reality of who God is.

It is irresponsible to slap the Constitution of the United States in the front of a Bible and declare that God is uniquely the God of our nation. Untrue and unbiblical. Perhaps the best-known verse in all of scripture is John 3:16. It is plastered on bumper stickers and often seen on signs at sporting events. May I suggest, that rather than posting it on bumper stickers, we memorize the words and live into them. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.  (emphasis added)

Note: “the world” and “everyone.” There is no favored nation in God’s geopolitical sphere. There are only people who need forgiveness, grace, mercy, and redemption.

It’s not always a wonderful world. However, when those persons who give lip service to faith actually choose to incarnate the faith they profess, there is an unlimited potential to make better the lives of the hurting and suffering persons with whom we come into contact.