It's hard to come to grips with such terrible events as the one we experienced this past day-after-Thanksgiving. Kelly already blogged about it, and it was a significant part of my sermon this morning. When we learned that a two and a half year old boy went missing in our neighborhood, we were overcome with feelings of empathy. We immediately (if innocently) put the face of our own two year old on the one who had disappeared. It was because of our connection as parents of two young children that we felt such responsibility to help find this young child, Luis. The result on Saturday was not what we wanted to hear, that he had fallen through a septic tank cover that had not been properly sealed.
As people reflected on the message this morning on their way out the door, many were asking the questions that I am not interested in asking. The "whys" of these kinds of events don't usually satisfy our human need to rationalize the results. Rather, I want to know how God is going to walk through our tragic moments with us. Suffering, as it's been presented to me, is a universal human experience. How we deal with it--how God helps us deal with it, is something that goes beyond our human ability.
The other part of my sermon today dealt with Harmony and her testimony about hope, having been through a terrible car accident and speaking into the amazing truth that retribution is not ours--forgiving the drunk driver, finding her faith even stronger because of her gratitude--not bitter for having her life forever altered. What grace and promise we can find if we look for
God, even through the tragic. I'm filled with sorrow, suffering and hope--all at the same time today. Only God could fill me with such complexities. And I'm grateful. Peace be with you all.
