Tragedy in Phoenix

Meet Nick Erfle. Nick was a police officer for the Phoenix Police Department. Nick recently battled cancer for two years and won. He returned to the force to do what he loved best -- police work. His supervisors said that Nick had a gift: He could spot a criminal with unerring accuracy. So, on Tuesday, Sep. 19, 2007, when he noticed three people jaywalking and obstructing traffic, he and his partner went to work. Little did they know that one of the three had a warrant for his arrest. Anthony Sanchez pulled a gun and shot Nick Erfle. Then he carjacked a passing vehicle and fled. Some distance away, officers boxed the fleeing felon in and the chase ended. When Sanchez pointed his gun at the car's owner, police shot him to death. Nick Erfle died that day at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, leaving behind a wife and two children.

Anthony Sanchez, as it turned out, was an illegal alien. He had been previously deported, but he returned illegally. His warrant was for shoplifting in Tucson -- a misdemeanor. Again, a criminal enters the country across our porous border and a good man dies for it. You can imagine the uproar. Indeed, according to the FBI, 83% of the warrants for murder in Phoenix are for illegal aliens. The numbers are worse in Los Angeles (95%) and Albuquerque (86%). In L.A., Phoenix, and Albuquerque, 75% of those on the most wanted list are illegal aliens. (You can find these statistics and more here.) While some voices are trying to paint this as an isolated incident, statistics say otherwise. And while there are certainly other concerns (economic and humanitarian concerns, for instance), to pass it off as unimportant is not reasonable.

The Christian radio show I was listening to the other day brought up the topic of the tragic death of Officer Erfle. The host wanted to try to make sure that we didn't make too much of this one incident, and he had a point. One incident doesn't make a trend. In this case, however, one incident simply added to the existing trend. Being a Christian show, one of the callers tried to make a point to help out. "Since we believe God is sovereign, it's pointless to argue that Officer Erfle would still be alive today if the borders were closed. When God says it's your time to go, it's your time to go." The Christian talk show host objected. "I don't believe that everything that happens is God's will."

We may -- nay, should be concerned about the problem of illegal aliens and the crime they bring with them. It's a real problem. But I am equally concerned about this trend among Christians. It is the absolute belief in the sovereignty of human free will. God does the best He can, but ... well ... stuff happens. Not everything that happens is, ultimately, God's will. Things happen that God didn't intend to happen. If you argue otherwise, you argue that none of our decisions matter and place God in the position of ordaining evil.

In Luke 22, Jesus placed God in the position of ordaining evil.

"But behold, the hand of him who betrays Me is with Me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!" (Luke 22:21-22).

Jesus said that His betrayal by Judas Iscariot was "determined" -- it was ordained in advance. Indeed, shortly thereafter Jesus Himself told Judas to go do what Jesus knew he was going to do (John 13:27). In the final analysis, the plan for salvation required that Judas do what Judas did. He was required to betray Jesus.

No one, including Jesus, however, applauded Judas for carrying out God's plan. In the Luke passage, we find the two concepts juxtaposed. There is pre-determination and there is personal responsibility. There is God's determined and certain plan and "woe to that man by whom He is betrayed." There is predestination and personal choice. And personal choice in this instance made all the difference in the world. Our choices matter.

The Bible upholds both concepts. God works all things after the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11). Nothing occurs outside of His ultimate decision to allow or disallow events and choices. And humans have the ability and responsibility to make choices. These choices, even though they are made within the confines of God's sovereign will, result in either judgment or reward for the individual. What we choose matters.

Nick Erfle was a hero. He was one of the good guys. We will mourn his loss. Anthony Sanchez was a criminal and an illegal alien that demonstrated one of the problems that America faces with our failure to control our borders. These are true. I don't wish to take away from them in the least. But always remember that God works all things after the counsel of His will. No Sanchez can cross the border and commit murder without God's permission and good purposes. Sanchez meant it for evil; God meant it for good. God is sovereign and while we do wrong and bear the responsibility, God is the righter of wrongs, He who makes good out of evil. The unfortunate fact that we neither have the wisdom to fully understand this or the power to do so ourselves doesn't change the facts. It is only in this realization that we can make any sense out of things like this. Trying to pass it off as merely human failure and marginalize God in all of this makes it a pointless tragedy. Such a thing doesn't occur in God's world.