An
explosion in Boston during a recreation event. An explosion in West TX at
a work place. One by design, and the other seeming to be
accidental. Both happened. Whether by design or by accident, both
created casualties; some have been hurt, and others have lost their
lives. In the ashes of such destruction, it is impossible to sort through
the rubble of despair without asking “why”.
The
faithful pose this question to the Lord, while others may even seek to blame the
Lord in the wake of such destruction. There is even a theology dominant
in many Christian traditions that simply hands over such acts to the Lord
because there are no other answers that make sense to us. And while some
may be testifying to the Lord’s might, others translate that theology to a
randomly violent God who gets His jollies from such things; a god not worth
following, let alone worshipping.
Be
careful in using the Lord’s “name in vain”, and be especially careful in
“blaming” the Lord when things go bad. Humans deliberately planted bombs
in Boston, and human imperfections may have contributed to the blast in West
TX. Whether the Lord had a hand in either is impossible for humans to
discern, but we can know with confidence where our Lord expects us to be in the
wake of any disaster: with those who suffer, with those who lost loved ones,
with those first on the scene.
Our
place is not in random violence, and I am not convinced our Lord “causes”
accidents by human neglect in which innocent persons are hurt or killed.
We humans can be as volatile as gases in a fertilizer plant, or we can be as
gracious and as merciful as Messiah. We pick. Either way, stuff
happens and will always happen. We have the privilege, however, to be
there in stuff’s wake to comfort those who suffer. It is the Cross we are
compelled to bear.
Blessings,
Michael
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