It inflicts pain on the hearts of those affected and stirs up fear
in the heart of the bystander. It has the potential to keep a mother awake at
night and leave a father grieving for days. It doesn’t make sense to most and
causes all to raise questions. Tragedy. In the midst of tragedy, amongst the
hurt, and grief, and tears we hear the question raised “why?” Why did this happen?
Why was this allowed to happen?
Brokenness. We live in a broken world, a world where the light is too often
crowded out by the darkness. We live in a world where people have been given
free-will and if that free-will is not guided by Truth, it ultimately brings
destruction. It hurts me to hear people question God, to place the blame on his
head, to question His love for and kindness toward His people.
The Lord did not
cause a broken man to open fire and take the lives of innocent children. The
Lord does not cause children in third-world countries to go to sleep hungry at
night as their parents die from AIDS. The Lord did not cause tragedy in your family.
These things are all a result of humanity’s decision to walk away from the
Truth. Man decided that he was a better fit for the position of god in his own
life, and this is the result. Not only does God not cause tragedy, but He also
offers hope—a hope that a heartbroken mother, grieving father, starving child,
or dying victim can find nowhere else. It is hope for a better way of life
where even in the darkest of storms, you can have peace that surpasses all
understanding. It is a life where in a moment of grief, you can experience a
joy that consumes all sorrow. In fact, it is because of a tragedy that this hope
is ours for the having. It was because of the murder of an innocent man—someone’s
son, someone’s friend—that we have a reason to hope.
The truth is that in our
darkest hour, when we were farthest away from Him, when we had decided that we
had no need for Him, God humbled Himself and became a man, being obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. he died to overcome death for us and along with that, took away its sting. The greatest part is that even death couldn't hold Him down, and He is no longer dead, but lives and freely extends that offer of real life to us-- to you-- as well. The price has been paid, all that it requires of you is to recognize your need for a savior, understand that your salvation is found in Jesus, and then begin to walk out everyday with God in His rightful place of kingship in your life.
