Is God punishing Jade?mp3

This week, Closer, the celebrity magazine, splashed the following on its front page: “Jade Goody: My miscarriage is God’s punishment”.

Since appearing on the Big Brother reality TV show in 2002, Jade has been surrounded by a frenzy of media activity. Often it has been welcomed, even encouraged, but this year has been different.

It all began to go wrong when Jade returned to the Big Brother house in January for the celebrity version of the show. While in the house, Jade was accused of racism due to the way she treated Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. As a result, Jade was vilified by the press, many shops stopped selling her perfume and autobiography, and she soon checked herself into rehab. In April, Jade discovered she was pregnant, but her joy was short lived as she subsequently suffered a miscarriage.

In a tearful interview for Closer she explained, “After the miscarriage I did ask: ‘Why is all this happening?’ I thought it was God’s punishment for something I’d done. This year it’s been one thing after another.”

This statement has the potential to spark many interesting conversations. Jade’s thoughts give us a glimpse into what she thinks about God, our wrongdoings and God’s response to them. Her comments may act as a springboard for our friends to share what they think on these issues, and an opportunity for us to talk about our beliefs in relation to God and judgement.

Jade’s question, “Why is all this happening?” is one that many ask when life takes a turn for the worst. “Is God punishing me for something I’ve done?”

In John 9:1-2 we read of a time when Jesus and his disciples encountered a man who was blind. The disciples presumed that this was God’s way of punishing sin. They asked, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus said it was neither and explained that it “happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”

This passage indicates that we need to be careful in assuming that someone’s suffering is a result of their sin. Who are we to know? Who are we to make such accusations?

The Bible does reveal a God who disciplines, even punishes, his children as a loving parent disciplines and punishes their child (Hebrews 12:5-6, 1 Thessalonians 4:6). It also reveals a God who at times punishes specific sins with dreadful consequences – consider Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5). However, it also reveals that our suffering is not always linked to something we have done wrong. Job is a good example of this. Job’s friends, who suggested that he was suffering because of his wrongdoings, were rebuked by God.

So, how should we respond to Jade or friends in a similar situation? The best approach is to explain that there are consequences for sin, but that suffering does not usually occur because of our individual sins. And our prime concern must be to offer support and reveal Jesus: the Jesus who is always with us (Matthew 28:20), who sympathises with us (Hebrews 4:15-16), and who took the punishment for our sin onto himself so that we could be reunited with God - and no longer have to suffer alone (1 Peter 2:24-25).

Phil Green, Essential Project Director

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