From the Pastor |
Today is another beautiful spring day. The birds are singing… the sun is shining… life flows on… yet it is hard to find joy today. Yesterday, it seemed the world… once again… came to a screeching stop with the horrific news of another senseless tragedy… this time in Texas.
A young man, Salvador Ramos, entered the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas and opened fire with an AR-15 Semi-automatic rifle (he had apparently legally purchased 2 of them just after his 18th birthday). As of this morning, 19 children, 2 teachers, and Ramos himself have been reported as killed. At least 15 others were injured as well. Think about this for a minute… 19 elementary school age children. My heart is breaking. This is the 27th school shooting this year alone… and it is only May. Not to mention the terrible shooting in Buffalo 10 days prior. I am sorry to say, but I truly believe this supposedly “Christian” nation has wandered so very far from the path of Christ that all we are left with is this violence, turmoil and pain. A terrible toll has been paid for our failure to live and to love as Christ did… evil has been able to gain some more ground in this nation as a result. Not the evil of the Democrats… Not the evil of the Republicans, but the evil that has arisen BECAUSE of our divisions… our pride… our prejudice and judgements against the other… our fear…. Our anger and our hatred… all those things that have seemed to fill the hearts of so many in this nation… Christians included… When tragedies such as this happen it causes many people to question why? Why would a just and loving God allow… or worse yet, cause–such suffering? Can’t God prevent such tragedies? And if God can, why doesn’t he? Why bother praying if God can’t protect even those poor, innocent children? Why should we bother to believe at all? Well… All I can tell you is what I believe; that a God who would cause such indiscriminate suffering is not the same God we see revealed in Christ Jesus. I believe… no let me change that, I know in my heart that God did not cause this. It was not God’s “plan”! God did not wake up Tuesday morning and say “I think today is the day to have a young man go to that school in Texas and brutally shoot down so many young children. Yeah, that will serve my purpose. That will teach them a lesson.” That is not our God. Our God is an awesome and loving God. God, our Creator, did not cause this event to happen. This happened because of the misguided actions of a very disturbed young man. A man who was open to the influence of evil. He was a man who had not given his heart to God. If he had God would have filled it and then the evil that was influencing this man’s actions would not have been able to take hold. This is the curse that could be viewed as the flip side of the blessing we have been given of “Free Will.” It is our choice to allow God into our hearts, into our lives. Just as every one of us has the choice to accept God into our hearts, we also have the right to say no. But that still leaves us with the question of why. Where was God in the midst of this horrible tragedy? Well... I can tell you that... God was there… think of it this way… If you had been there and saw those people… those children… lying there what would you have done? Would you hold them and whisper words of comfort? Would you push the hair from their eyes and tell them not to worry… everything will be all right? Well, I have no doubt that is exactly what God was doing Tuesday morning in Texas. I can see it clearly in my heart and my mind. God, the Father, was there... gathering all those who were shot in His loving arms… cradling them gently and with tears streaming down His face as He whispered to them: “Don’t worry; it will be all right… I’m here with you…I’ll never leave you! I am here!” God wasn’t allowed into the heart of the young man who wielded the gun… God is not One who forcibly imposes His will on us… but God was there bringing comfort and peace to those who needed Him most at that moment. God was there in that school with those who were in hiding. God was with the teachers helping to keep their students calm and quiet. Now God is present to help bring support and comfort to those who are left behind. As we wonder why? As we get angry and shake our fists at God wondering how God could allow this to happen… I think we need to look inward. How have WE allowed this to happen? After Columbine… we should have worked together to ensure it never happened again… As Disciples of Christ, it is time we look beyond ALL that divides us and focus our eyes on what is important… the love of the Lord. God is with us through it all, and if we but open our hearts and minds to God… if we put our trust in the Lord… then the fear and anger and hatred would find no home within us. The change needs to start within US! We need to let the Lord in… we need to stop trying to change Jesus to fit our own narrative and politics, and allow the Spirit of Christ to take up residence and CHANGE US! Take the time to open your heart and mind today and let Jesus… the Love of God revealed to fill you and change you… eliminating all that keeps you from sharing God’s great love with all the world. Hold onto the Hope of Christ even as the world seems to crumble around us. Focus your eyes on Jesus. Pray for the families of those lost to this world. Let us help God to shine light in the darkness, to bring hope, peace, joy and love to those around us.
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Yeon Shin
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