There
is nothing in the wounds of the human condition that cannot be healed by the
power and love of God.
I hope these words can give
some comfort to all those hurting so deeply.
It may not seem so on some
mornings, but our God created us good to share with him in shaping and
reshaping creation, in bringing some sense of harmony, in reconciling people
and families, and in making whole that which is deeply broken.
This morning at St. Alban’s,
our thrilling Christmas pageant was presented with all the life and joy that
forty-one angels and shepherds and wise men and a holy family can offer.
Today was all about our
children …those who are here with us and those who are not.
Somehow the healing that’s so
needed will come. In Advent we talk a lot about looking and waiting for God in
our midst. Well, healing is a first manifestation of God’s presence. The basic
premise about healing, the first thing to know, is that all healing comes from
God.
We are imperfect and often
broken things who inhabit an imperfect and broken world. One of the genius
traits of the human heart lies in its God-given capacity to know this brokenness
and yet generate insight, energy and new life.
Healed life.
Our faith is not a protective shield
against trouble. We will have moments of real loss, moments of being those lost
sheep in deep need of a good shepherd.
The nation feels such loss these days
following Friday’s tragic chaos at Sandy Hook School. And through tears, I have been asked where God
is in this trouble?
I pray that God is in our response when the hurricanes come, when the earth shakes and the tragedy is unspeakable. At these times what God does promise and what God does deliver are strength and hope and healing, those very same things that with their simplicity and dignity and humility the children show us we need.
We are given God’s strength to deal with the harshness of life. We are given God’s healing when the way is unclear or is full of deep trouble. And we are given hope for the final peace-filled gathering of all things and all people in the arms of God. This is the peace, the promise and hope of God for us and for all families that is coming at Christmas. It is what we await at Advent.
This world and our living in it do not
always make sense to us. Wonder, mystery, confusion and even chaos and cruelty
are our frequent companions, so we need God’s guidance. And no life is complete
in and of itself, so we need somehow to know God’s hopes for us.
That, in reality, is what we need and
that, thank God, is what we have been given.
I so wish I could explain the tragedy
that numbs our hearts, but I cannot. I wish I could affirm that secret desire
we all have for complete protection from suffering, but I cannot. What I can confidently
do is promise you those things that the lives of children remind us we need,
God’s strength, guidance, healing and hope.
Our pageant gave us again a remarkable
story, told freshly by our remarkable young story-tellers, each of whom
continues to learn (with us) their place in the story, their place in the
healing and illuminating touch of God.
Today is all about the children…and us
too.
Speak
through the earthquake, wind and fire, O still, small voice of calm.
Tim,
ReplyDeleteBeautifully said in a succinct way. I think even though much of my life as a child was unfair and intrusive that I am still very blessed that I am here. I have a life, one that includes a vibrant caring faith community and caring family of choice. The pagenant took on a very special part of the mourning for the children in Sandy Hook who, though they will never be a part in a pagneant again, will be in my thoughts and prayers as I photograph our Christmas story over and over again as a constant reminder that God gave us his people a beautiful, clean, fresh start. We cannot begin to know the suffering or the recovery for the people in Sandy Hook. What we can know is that God sent his only son to live among us for a time and then to die on the Cross for our redemption. This is true gift. It is a gift that 20 children and 6 adults will never see again. We must carry a banner for them and pray for peace. At the same time we must pray for the person who turned a little town and a big world upside down in a matter of minutes. We do not understand the motive behind this act. We know it was a senseless, random act of violence against some of God's people, but, we must return to trusting in God that God will find a way to heal us all, hopefully it will be in our present time, but if not ours, in the future. The impact of the Christmas story comes together even more vividly because of the horrible act of one person. Are we going to let this effect the birth of God's son? If this is so we are lost. If we can begin to understand that God's son was brought into a world much like ours to die on a cross and to rise again then in moments of silence during the day. We can reply to this coming with AMEN. Joy does come in the morning and we must go on better prepared for the storm and must wait for the coming of God amoung us in even more poignant ways.
Tim…reading your wonderful post was very helpful. After the whirlwind of the pageant this weekend, it was good to sit with your words, your offering, in the wake of such disturbing events. As I in sat in the front row, watching the pageant on Sunday, I found myself transcended from "making sure everything was going OK" to really looking at each one of the kids, their gifts, their excitement, their nervousness, their pride…and most of all their incredible comfort being in the church…a part of this community. I could feel the congregation's arms around these children, holding them close, and valuing all they had to bring.
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