I suppose there's been plenty said about the devastation along the Gulf
Coast. I'm concerned for the kinds of things being said... perhaps more so
for what's not being said except from so very few.
The major media outlets seem to have jumped on the band wagon crying out
that the federal government has failed, is failing and will probably
continue to fail in the midst of this tragedy. People are angry,
frustrated, tired and afraid. While we should certainly empathize with
those who are suffering and working to meet their needs, we don't need to
join with them in their anger and finger pointing. That doesn't help.
One of the things i hear over and over again is that this should never have
happened. There is blame assigned to those who have focused resources on
the war in the Middle East but left us "open" to this kind of natural
disaster. Certainly there is lots that could have and should be now done,
the reality is that there is an expectation that our government - or at
least SOMEBODY - who is supposed to be protecting us from such suffering...
and has failed to do so.
The sad reality is that suffering is part of life in this world. We all
seem to naturally have the idea in our heads that suffering is not something
that is supposed to part of life. We treat suffering as if it is an alien
invasion - an attack from an enemy against whom we should be able to defend
ourselves.
The only way we can make sense of this suffering is if we take a very long
view - all the way back to our First Parents. They chose to disobey God.
Sin entered into our world. And now we suffer. I don't mean it is because
of specific sins that this terrible loss of safety and life has taken place.
I'm not smart enough to figure that out - and those who have thought so have
often been proved to be tragically wrong... like Job's friends.
I don't know much, but i do know that despite the kind or depth of
suffering, there is always something God is working out... something really
good, beyond what we can imagine. We can see that when we look at Jesus on
the cross. The worst thing that could possibly happen - that we should kill
the Son of God - God turned around and made the best possible thing...
twice -- His magnificent resurrection and, thus, our salvation and new life.
All we have to do is trust him.
