Following the tragedy of such evil and senseless brutality as the massacre in the Connecticut elementary school that killed 20 children under 10-years old and 6 innocent teachers, leaves many of us--people of faith or not--asking, "Why?" Many of us at church Sunday morning came asking, "Why God?" and "Where were you God?" and "How could you let this happen?" It makes one wonder during this season we celebrate Emmanuel, God with us, if God is really with us at all. Such evil provokes one to question faith in a God who has promised to never leave or forsake us. If that is so, then Lord, why? Why were so many innocent people killed? If God is all powerful, why does God not stop such evil from happening? I am sure for many this feels like a forsaken time. The old theodicy questions surface in the aftermath of such events as the world witnessed in Newton, Connecticut.
There seems to be more questions than answers, and that is hard to deal with for a species that likes concrete answers. I don't think there is ever "an" answer or at least ever an easy answer that will satisfy our longing to make sense of such heinous acts. It is especially hard when the one responsible for so much violence and pain is dead; his explanation--however twisted it may have been--is gone forever. And so, the families and friends of the victims are left in silence to deal with the backlash of unanswerable questions.
As a pastor, I want to have the answers when such things happen, but the truth is that this is an I-don't-know kind of time, where I too am asking, "Why?". I do not have answers to your why. All I can do is delve into the questions with you as together we pray and wrestle with the shock, pain, grief and disbelief of all of it, trying to find hope in the midst of such a seemingly hopeless situation. Where is God in all this pain? But isn't that the promise, the gift that came down to us at Christmas? God incarnate took on human flesh to dwell with us in a world that does not always use freewill for good, in a world where evil still rules, in a world that does not always want to know the Good News of our Savior's birth? God taking on flesh tells us that God understands us--all the good, bad and ugly of this world, and so I honestly believe that God weeps with us at such tragedies.
I had a man at church yesterday tell me that he always thought earth was hell. I can see why he would think that. It is times like this that make this whole life experience certainly feel like hell. Can hell be worse than the slaying of 26 innocent people?! But our hope, if we can even manage to utter that word at such a time, as God's people is that God's presence in our world today means there is also heaven right among us. God is Emmanuel; God is with us. Do we really "anticipate our heaven below" as Charles Wesley encourages us to do in his hymn O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing?
It's difficult to hold onto such promises; it's difficult to anticipate our heaven below in the middle suffering, pain, affliction, and grief--especially when it all seems unnecessary, undeserving, & unfair. Though it may not immediately make us feel better or make such loss as those in Newton, Connecticut have experienced any easier, these are moments we must cling to our faith, hanging on to that promise that God has promised to never forsake us. We are not alone. God is with us, but we also have one another to muddle through the mess and madness of a nightmare that we all wish we could wake up from. We have each other to help one another find hope and faith to see and feel God's presence, who at this very moment is working to heal, comfort and bring peace. Evil certainly seems to win in moments like these, but as Triune-God believers we cannot keep silent, or turn from God in these moments of great trial because evil will not and does not win. That score was settled the moment Jesus was born, took on human flesh, walked this earth, lived a perfect life all the way to being nailed on the cross and raised from the dead. "Death, where is your victory? O, death, where is your sting?...But thanks be to God who has given us the victory through Jesus Christ."
May we cling to God and one another, so that by faith we can believe and embody these words of truth even as we ask Why?.
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