The Right and Wrong Response to Tragedy

In times of crisis we regularly see people's hearts respond to God in remarkable ways. They promote generosity, kindness, compassion, and cooperation in ways that should make any ardent believer offer praise to our Heavenly Father. Danger, uncertainty, and loss cause us to look toward safety, certainty, and permanence. I believe that tragic moments actually cause us to lay aside our own shellfish rebellion and embrace what we know to be true about God and His goodness.

I am really saddened when I see this process cheapened by a harsh reaction from people who claim Christianity. To be fair, I have seen an incredible response from many believers. Responses of support, outreach, and genuine love. What baffles me is when people who follow Jesus weigh in on the situation with their notions of haughtiness. Let me explain what I mean.

In tragic situations responses like: "This is God's judgement." "We brought this on ourselves." Are not ok. These kinds of pronouncements are ridiculous. They are shameful. They might sound pious and pure, but the overtones of condemnation are an affront to the life-giving Spirit of Christ.

When our neighbors are distraught we should reach out to them lovingly. We should welcome any attempt they make to reconnect and be reconciled to God. We should welcome any attempt they make to reconnect and reconcile with each other. It is not a time to parade I-told-you-so's like a trophy of supremacy. If anything it is a sacred and holy opportunity to humble ourselves, to set aside our own differences of opinion about previous actions, offenses, and attitudes and lovingly display Jesus to a whole lot of people who are suddenly more interested in what he has to say.

You can read my initial thoughts about the tragedy here.

Good & Evil

I am a thinker by default. This does not mean that I am always very good at thinking as a discipline. It is merely the written observation that I often think. When tragedy strikes, as it did today, I think. I process both emotionally and rationally.

Like so many of you I found the news surrounding the tragedy at the Boston Marathon today to be horrendous. It is a very terribly sad thing to see so many lives so completely altered by the conscious vicious actions of another person or group of people. It is sobering, right down in your soul, to see the work of real evil manifest itself. I'll never be able to comprehend how a person/people rationalizes such willful hate against other human beings.

Times like these bring up a lot of questions about the nature of good and evil. It is an ancient quandary that I simply have not the time, nor energy, to wrestle with at this late hour. But I will say that I absolutely believe in the overwhelming goodness of God. In fact, days like today draw me closer to God's goodness rather than push me away.

My wife and I were eating at a local restaurant as much of the news began to unfold. And I was captivated by the sheer number of people running toward the danger. People wanted to help.

Yes, evil is real. Yes, it showed its ugly face today. But goodness is also real. And goodness gripped the heart of every man or woman who tossed aside their own safety to walk toward danger, debris, and disaster. I am thankful for the goodness of those who do the hard deed to see the hurting and helpless cared for. I am awed when I see the awesome kindness of God reach down in the midst of such reckless hatred and devastation.

Edit:Check out this blog about my opinions on a right and wrong way to respond as believers.