12/17/12
As have most Americans, I have been consumed this weekend with the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut that resulted in the grisly shooting deaths of 20 elementary school
first graders.
Innocent
children---the age of my grandson, Caleb, and the precious little kindergartener who lives
across the street and hurried out this morning to give me a “princess” picture
that she had painted, so that I could hang it on my fridge.
Who
could even think of such a devastating act? What forces of darkness are we
facing in our own country? How could such a tragedy happen in small town USA?
Why do bad things happen to good people---especially young, innocent children
and caring teachers? Where is God when the hurt is so incredible?
Years
ago, I read that evil is live spelled backwards (E. Stanley Jones) and evil is
representative of what occurs when we try to "live" with our backs turned toward
God. So how do we, members of the
household of faith, respond to those in the midst of horrific pain and suffering caused by such evil?
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (I John 3:18)
Prayer.
Prayer for others. It’s the act of intercession and brings comfort, peace and
extra measures of grace, both to the pray-er and the one for whom he prays.
God’s love and grace prayed on behalf of others need to be the front line of
our response.
Prayer, and its supernatural comfort, is even being discussed on national TV.
Words of comfort don’t seem to be adequate but spirit-filled prayers
allow God, by His spirit, to touch the very soul of the sufferers.
But God……reminds us in His word that our
battles in this fallen world are dark and the spiritual force of evil is very
much present.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)
Meditating on that and interceding in prayer
for those who have lost so much might be part of the answer to those hard
questions. Our actions, armed with God’s truth, are so needed in this fight
against evil.
