In light of the incidents in Newtown, CT over the last few days I have heard several people ask me and others, "Why? How does something like this happen? If God is good/real, why didn't he intervene? etc."
During times like Newtown, CT, 9/11, the atrocities of war, and even throughout the daily rhythm of life, there is something, I believe, that all people yearn for and dream of, and I believe that thing is 'hope.' Hope that what I see and hear around me isn't the end of the story. Hope that one day all the things that are broken, shattered, and wrong in this world will be made right. Hope that Shadow, the golden retriever, will come limping over the hill and be reunited with his family. Hope that the Cubs /Pirates will actually know what it means to wear a World Series ring. Every person yearns for this kind of hope and redemption. It is in our DNA.
I believe that there is coming a day when God will condemn evil for what it is. I believe the words of Revelation 21 that talk about a day when “there will be a new heaven and a new earth… and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more mourning, crying, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” We love and serve a God who hates evil. We believe that one day he will judge between good and evil and finally condemn evil and those who embrace/choose it. As a Christian, I find that hope in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
But, until that day comes, some men and women will continue to do evil acts. These evil acts are an outward sign of an inward reality (the condition of the heart) and it is our responsibility to work on our hearts and ask God to change them… but at the end of the day, some people will still choose evil. Christ calls his followers to embody a servant-like love by how we give, serve, sacrifice, and extend hope to others through our words and actions.
So, let us mourn, let us ask 'why', let us remember, let us take action, let us debate, etc. But above all, let us remember that hope is real and let us work towards embodying that hope in our world through the power of the Holy Spirit.
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