Where do we begin to address what happened in Newtown, CT last week? Where does the Gospel break into our lives when we ache for the pain of parents who sent their children to school one day, and who will never see them again, and for spouses, friends, and relatives of teachers who sacrificed themselves to save their students? This is a terrible tragedy, and one that has spurred on discussions, some sensitive, some not, about public policy such as gun control, access mental health services, school security, and more. Where can Christians go to find peace in such situations, and how can we share peace with those who are grieving so bitterly?
I can't answer that. But what is clear to me is that we have need. We have desperate need of something to heal us in the depths of despair. We have desperate need of something to bring us peace in times of discord. We have need of a voice to call us into compassion rather than selfishness. We have need of love, of understanding, of hope in the darkest of times. There is no good answer to tragedies like this, and there is no good reassurance when, even if you believe in the resurrection of the dead, your heart is split open because of a loss that can never be filled in this lifetime.
We have need. And right now, I think all I personally have is prayer. A prayer for peace, a prayer for healing, a prayer for God to reveal God's self in the midst of this unthinkable catastrophe. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, so night will be no more. Amen.
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