God doesn’t test people like this, he said. But he does bestow blessings to mitigate the hurt and sustain those affected by tragedy. “You take the blessings in whatever package, say thank you and you use them,” said Swedberg, who is expected to make a full recovery.
Good to hear an interpretation like that from a man of the cloth. One of his parishioners needs a little whack from him, though: “If he can withstand two major accidents, you know there’s a higher purpose for him.” Bullshit. Yeah, he’s got a higher purpose, but so do we all. His survival just means he’s lucky.
But what about this hobby of his, aerial acrobatics? For him to say that “… the accident is a reminder that evil is present in the world…” is, well, not quite honest. He’s indulging himself in a dangerous hobby when he’s got a wife, two kids, and congregation who depend on him. My motorcycling hobby is in the same category, but if I got smashed up doing it, I wouldn’t chalk it up evil in the world.