(ChurchLeaders) In a recent podcast, pastor and theologian John Piper tackled a listener question about why God creates certain people to be attractive and not others. Piper’s response has sparked criticism, particularly with regard to the way Piper addressed individuals with disabilities in his remarks.
An anonymous listener wrote into the “Ask Pastor John” podcast expressing how they emotionally struggle with their physical appearance. The listener asked, “How can I accept the fact that God, though capable of making me beautiful or at least average looking, chose to create me in an unattractive manner?”
Piper’s Theology of ‘Physical Ugliness’
In his response, Piper first expressed that while he felt sympathy for the listener, he’d be lying if he said that he knew exactly what the person is experiencing. “When I hear a question like this, it makes me groan, partly because I can count on three fingers, maybe less, the people who have ever called me ugly or handsome,” Piper said. “In other words, I groan because I know I’m being asked to speak to a sorrow that I’ve never tasted.”