I believe everyone has been shocked and
appalled by the events in Arizona. Once again a regrettable
tragedy has unfolded before us, and once again we have been
left to fumble about for answers, as one fumbles for a light
switch in a dark room. Everytime something like this
happens, whether the disaster be of human or natural
origins, we seek to understand its origins. At the moment,
we believe that if we can somehow get into the mind of Jared
Loughner then it will all make sense.
"Oh," we might think, "he was
schizophrenic, well, that explains it." Or, "well, he was
incited by political rhetoric, you know, unstable minds soak
all that in too."
But these are not explanations; far
from it. They are as hollow as the explanations we have
tried to affix to the Haitian earthquake, hurricane Katrina,
or the assasination of Martin Luther King. We may have some
glimpse of cause or motive, but, in the end, our attempts to
justify human sufferings with some sort of rational cause
always seem to fall short. So why did this happen? The
same reason tragedy happens everyday, because we live in a
fallen world. That is the answer no one wants to really
confront. Why did Jared Loughner fire 31 shots into a
crowd? Because he is a deranged monster? No, because he is
as much a product of this world as a hurricane, an
earthquake, or a racist. Our world is fallen; separated
from God and God's full designs and intentions.
In times such as these, when the truths
of this world rise up and challenge us once more, it is
incumbent upon us, as Christians, to look not toward the
media for explanations, nor our culture for blame, but to
look toward God in hope, that the only one who may change
our world will do so. I cannot say why any particular bad
thing happens. Why Jared Loughner? Why Gabbie Giffords? I
don't know, but I do know that everytime our world
manufactures tragedies large and small, it is a testimony to
the separation we experience from God, and our need to turn
our attention and efforts toward the work, love and grace of
the God we know. The best way to confront this tragedy is
not to ask why, but instead to redouble our efforts; to live
out our mission as the Body of Christ with renewed zeal.
The world is fallen, but the source of our hope is in the
Triune God whom we worship, and in Him, we shall find all
the answers we need.
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Prayer: Holy God, I pray this day
for those whose lives have been touched by tragedy. I pray for
those who have been harmed this week by violence and tragedy,
and I pray for those who have perpetrated that violence; that
you may be present in their lives as well. Help me to do your
work
[Phil Blackburn, First, Presbyterian Church]
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