God in the Darkness

For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6 NRSV)

Yesterday morning a Middletown High School senior was killed in an auto accident on her way to school. I spent the day reflecting on that reality and I want to share a few thoughts.

First, I can't imagine what it must feel like as a member of her family to know that she is gone. They will hear many attempts at encouragement and support that mean well, but perhaps will fall far short of making them feel like they can cope with their grief. My hope is that they truly know the presence of God in the love that surrounds. My hope is that they know the promise that nothing, not even death, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. On days like these, no matter how distant my connection to the grief, these words from the end of Romans 8 ring in my head. The words ring in my head, and yet my heart aches for their loss.

I have also been remembering my own experience as a young driver, on my way to school, when I drove my step-mother's Ford Escort into the back end of an 18 wheeler. But for the grace of God and the intelligence I had to always wear a seat belt, I WOULD NOT BE HERE. My three friends and I were very lucky to escape with one relatively minor injury, not that I'm minimizing those 52 stitches, Chris! :-) As I have seen images of the accident yesterday I have been painfully reminded of the sound of impact and the experience of seeing a mass of metal in the middle of the windshield. 

It is also with no small amount of fear and anxiety that I contemplate the ongoing journey of my own 16 year old with a learner's permit. I'm grateful for the state of Maryland that requires a lot more training than Pennsylvania did 25 years ago. I'm also grateful for my wife who will be the primary driving educator in the family (see paragraph above). While I trust him and know he will be a smart driver, I can't help but worry as he is still a teenager, and we all know how easily their minds can wander. Lord have mercy, this will be hard.

In the darkness of all my thoughts of the past 30 hours, I try to hold onto the light mentioned above in Paul's letter to the Corinthians. It is a struggle to know that terrible things like this accident happen in the world and to believe that there is a God of love who did not intervene. This world is broken, and we face things we would rather not face. Some days there is a blaring beacon of hope and sometimes it's only a glimmer of a small flame, but there is light in the darkness. The God we trust is one who went into the darkest of places. Our God went to a cross to show us that there is no place in which we can be lost. The sudden death of a young woman full of life doesn't change the reality of God's love. 

It may not seem like the "glory of God" today, but it is what I have. God's love shines in this valley despite our pain. May God's peace find its way into the hearts of all those who are standing in the dark today. 

Strength When Weary

Note: I started to write weekly while I was deployed, sharing some devotional thoughts about one of the Revised Lectionary Readings. I've decided to continue the exercise. I hope you find my musings helpful. They're not meant to be an in depth study of the reading, but simply some reflections on how I heard the reading today. Thanks for reading. I hope it touches your life in some way. Comments are always welcome.

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31 NRSV)

I have found myself looking for strength a lot lately. I've been home for just over three months and it has been a whirlwind of holidays, reconnecting, and...funerals. I know it's not as hard for me as it is for the families who have lost their loved ones, but it has been draining to bring a word of hope and promise over and over again in the midst of grief. 

As I've struggled with the losses of my own life, I have relied on the strength of a God who doesn't grow weary. God never fails to bring comfort and peace into my own journey. The moment my mom died I found a peace I still don't really understand, but was able to recognize. When I have felt myself growing weary and feeling faint, I know that God will find a way to bring me the strength I need. I can't imagine going on this journey without that strength renewing me and bearing me with wings like eagles. I can't imagine life any other way. 

And then I think of all those who haven't heard; all those who haven't known the love of our everlasting God. Many people haven't heard. Many people are trying to face their trials and pain without knowing that God is at work. I hope you've heard. And after you've heard, I hope you remember to share the news with someone else.