God's plan?

While I’m here I hear certain phrases often. One is, “Filippinos are the most hospitable people in the world.” I also hear, “it’s a part of God’s plan,” “there’s a reason for it,” “just accept what God has given you.” 

I really struggle with the notion that things such as domestic abuse, malnutrition and poverty are a part of God’s plan and that people should accept them because it’s what God has ordained for a particular person’s life.  I don’t think it’s God’s plan for a child to be abused.  I think this is the result of some great human downfall or sin or whatever you want to call it.  Sure, God or the Universe or the Cosmos or Life or whatever you call It can use these tragedies, these pains and sufferings, and turn them into good…can offer hope out of them, but I disagree with the notion that one should accept such a life and do nothing to change it solely because it’s what God wants.  My heart would suggest that God actually wants these things to dissipate.  God wants us to unite around these people to alleviate their pains.  I can’t adopt a practice of silence when I hear and see so much suffering.  Should we just let people whither away until there’s nothing else because it was God’s plan for them to go through these trials?  What happens when the person is so defeated they are no longer able to laugh and dream, no longer to treat others with dignity and respect. Is that also part of the plan?  I don’t think we should use religion or belief in a higher being as justification and reason for a lack of human intervention. 

A pattern of acceptance of such human injustices will make them the norm of a society. God a cruel God, and people without a personal concept of power or strength or worth. Instead of evolving into a community where the individual is loss and the whole is empowered and supported, a group will digress into individuals blind to the needs of their neighbors.  If we believe God is working in us and through us, and if we believe God is love, then we must actively love and support those in need instead of justifying all that is wrong. 

i just saw this quote and i think it goes well with this concept: "We could sit and beg God to change India, Pattaya, Cambodia or whatever other oppressive situation you could mention, but I don't think that's the point: I don't think it's up to us to twist God's arm into fighting injustice, I think it's up to us to get on and fight it ourselves, to look around and realise quite how well God has equipped us to transform our communities and global neighbours. Like I said before; we're God's hands and feet, if we want to be serious about our faith we don't have any choice other than to act." -Aaron Boyd from Bluetree