In the movie Star Wars, evil terrorists from the dark side disintegrated princess Leah’s home planet. Obi Wan Kenobi sensed that something horrible had happened when he said, “There has been a great disturbance in the force as if millions of voices were crying out in terror and suddenly silenced.”
When tragedy strikes, when the unthinkable happens, when the incomprehensible becomes reality, where is God? In a country where some have been more concerned about the separation of church and state, we quickly find ourselves not being concerned about separating a nation from religion. We find ourselves concerned about a nation that must have religion that leads to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
With the recent shooting at Purdue, as well as, another shooting at a Mall, some find themselves with a daunting feeling about why…what were they thinking…Where is God in our crisis, and why do bad things happen to good and innocent people?
- We live in a fallen, sinful world where bad people act like bad people
“But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." Genesis 2:17 (NASB-U)
“It was through one man that sin came into the world, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned.” Romans 5:12 (NJB)
- God is not preserving the earth to give people a safe place, He is offering salvation to the people of this world in order to find safety and shelter in the arms of the Almighty
- This earth is not our final destination; at best this is a sinking ship. That is why God sent Jesus into our world, so that the world through HIM could be saved.
- Good people sometimes do bad things
- God can bring blessing out of tragic circumstances
- The story of Job
“The Lord's unfailing love and mercy still continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise.
The Lord is all I have, and so in him I put my hope.
The Lord is good to everyone who trusts in him,
So it is best for us to wait in patience—to wait for him to save us— Lamenations. 3:22-26 (TEV)
- Crisis helps to take our focus off the temporal and focus on the reality of eternity
“God's Spirit makes us sure that we are his children. His Spirit lets us know that together with Christ we will be given what God has promised. We will also share in the glory of Christ, because we have suffered with him.”
Romans 8:16-17 (CEV)
“But this precious treasure--this light and power that now shine within us --is held in a perishable container, that is, in our weak bodies. Everyone can see that the glorious power within must be from God and is not our own.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don't know why things happen as they do, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. These bodies of ours are constantly facing death just as Jesus did; so it is clear to all that it is only the living Christ within [who keeps us safe].” 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 (Living Bible)
