Picture the world as it was in the beginning of Genesis: A world without form, lost in deep darkness, where chaos and desolation reigned. Now shift your gaze: See the only immortal God who, as Paul wrote in 1 Timothy, "dwells in unapproachable light."
Since the beginning there has been this juxtaposition, dark and light, evil and good, evening and then morning, always in that order. This is also the pattern of scripture; God draws springs out of the desert, makes creation out of desolation and pruning hooks from swords.
In this beautiful excerpt from her book, Chaos is Not God's Will, theologian Beth Snodderly posits that the model for the war of the ages is also the model for international development.
" . . . In a cosmic battle for the rulership of this planet, God is deliberately overcoming evil with good until, in the end, Jesus will reign in his Kingdom of shalom. But until God ushers in that final perfect new heaven and new earth, there is a need for believers to engage intentionally in international development efforts to demonstrate God’s will for people, for societies, and for God’s originally good creation."
