I
don't normally try to tackle such momentous events, but my heart is heavy.
The events from Friday are still fresh and on the forefront of minds, hearts,
and prayers.
The
darkness surrounding Friday’s tragedy in Sandy Hook is dense, and it is a reminder that darkness is
ever looming. The reality is that however unbelievable and unreal it may
seem, it happened. And I do not believe Friday was part of God's plan. It was not
part of God's plan for 20 innocent children and 6 innocent adults to die because
of one selfish man's act of violence. God had plans, beautiful plans, for the
lives of those killed, but it was the sinful act of one individual that
destroyed those plans. Darkness is always present.
How
do we handle hearing about such atrocity, especially during the season of
Advent? How can this season of Advent help us during this time?
Advent
is marked by a spirit of expectation, anticipation, preparation, and longing.
It was first the Israelites who yearned for deliverance from servitude in Egypt.
It is the cry of those who have
experienced the oppressiveness of injustice in a sinful world, and yet who have
hope of deliverance by a God who has heard the cries of the burdened and brought
deliverance. It is that hope which brings to the world the anticipation of a
King, and it is that hope that was once anticipated, and now anticipates anew,
the reign of a Messiah who will bring peace and justice to the world. So, how
do we effectively hold this idea of hope in tension with the present darkness?
We
remember that there is hope after despair. God is deeply moved, concerned, and
grieves with us. We are not alone. God also grieves over this loss and tragedy.
We see in Jeremiah that God grieves and is saddened by the sinfulness of his
people. Because God is so involved, healing will also come. God enters deeply
into the suffering human situation and works the necessary healing from within.
God is active. God is present. God is healing. And for God to so enter into the
mournful situation means that mourning will not be the last word spoken. We can
be honest with God and enter into mourning knowing that God has also wept. We
can use authentic and vulnerable language with God because he is able and
willing to hear our complaints and deepest sorrows.
We are called to constantly live in
tension. We must be light in the darkness. We must be beacons of hope for those
who are suffering. With faithful expectancy, restoration and hope will arise. As
we hold grief in one hand, Advent calls us to remain hopeful and anticipate the
coming of the Lord. We live in tension with what is and what will one day be.
I cling to the hope of restoration, and this hope is the light I hold against the darkness.
