Tragedy and Refuge

Our youngest is 17 years old and today I thought about how he has never known a world without mass shootings and acts of terror. The Columbine High School massacre happened one month after he was born. I remember so clearly watching the news, rocking my infant and crying over the world that he and his siblings would be forced to grow up in. This was just an unbelievable tragedy. How could this have happened? Before the Columbine shootings I remember isolated incidents of rage, but something seemed to shift that day. I Googled mass shootings since 1999 and the number is staggering. What is even worse is that our culture has digressed from trying to comfort one another in our grief, to using these incidents for political gain and media viewership.

Our world is evil, and things are only going to get worse. This is not the time for us to look outward. We can’t fix evil hearts by banning certain objects or even by purchasing more of them. And even revenge on the terrorists won’t change the seemingly unbalanced scale of darkness in our world.

The answer has to be to look upward and inward. We need to look up to our Creator. Because of sin, there is evil in our world. The Lord is our only hope. And not just in times of tragedy. He is our daily hope and peace. He is our main source of comfort and our assurance. While we process our grief, in shock and disbelief, this is a perfect time to examine our own hearts. Life is fleeting, so, do I make the most of each day? Do I live for earthly gain only, or do I try to better mankind with my existence? Do I have love for my neighbor, or do I have judgment and hatred? Do I try assist the downtrodden, or do I live a life of entitlement? And most importantly, if today were my last day on earth, where would I spend eternity? We want to think we always have a tomorrow to think about it, but none of us are promised a tomorrow. God loves every single one of us, more than we could ever imagine. Evil would be stamped out if we truly believed this and turned away from the sin that tries to control all of us and leaned on the Lord.

We also need to remember that when any tragedy occurs, we are talking about real people, not just numbers. Every victim was someone’s son or daughter, or parents, or their spouse. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around what the parents of the Orlando victims are going through. We need to be respectful to their pain. This is not a time for politics or judgment. By evidence of my Google search today, tragedies like this can happen absolutely anywhere. At a church, at a school or even a quick trip to a local store. We have to keep the truth of the importance of human life and the importance of the next one foremost in our minds.

There is a song called Refuge by the group Finding Favor. I love the words, they are especially comforting when my heart is broken for the pain of the many…………………….

My soul, it sings to You
Oh God, You are my refuge
I will cling, I will cling to You
My shelter through the storm
My peace when waves of troubles roll
I will cling, I will cling to You

I could search the stars
I could swim across the seas
And never find a love
That's as strong as Yours for me - You are my refuge

Always Sincerely,

Shannan