When Life Doesn't Make Sense

 I woke up this morning to hear again the news of a person randomly shooting others.  It is easy to disconnect from this.  Resist this temptation!

Why?  It is usually the first question when life just doesn’t make sense.  What would a person be thinking to carry out such random violence?  Does life become that blurred?  What kind of twisted passion or allegiance would be the motivation for this? 

Who?  There has to be someone to blame for this.  Actions like this cannot remain blameless.  Someone must be held accountable for it.   The fingers begin to point everywhere---family, friends, religion, and anything else in reach.  Remember in the Garden of Eden the first response of Adam was to point to Eve.  I chuckle every time I read it.  Not only is Eve blamed but God is her cohort.  “The woman YOU gave me…”  Adam created the first concept of no fault that is used in our world today.

The other part of who is coming to know those who are innocent victims.  They were in the wrong place or space at the wrong time.  How sad!  There is a part of us that realizes that all of us are in a sense vulnerable.  We all can be in the wrong space at the wrong time and have great consequences.

So what is the answer for us as Christians?  The presence of God is our consolation.  One of the verses that gives me great comfort is found in the 14^th chapter of John.  Jesus says to his disciples, “I will not leave you as an orphan.”  For me it is the realization that I will always have family.  God is my present parent.  God’s family is MY family.

As a young boy there were so many things I did not understand.  I did not understand why adults did what they did.  I did not understand many things that happen to me and around me.  The comfort in all of this was that I was surrounded by an environment and culture of family.  First United Methodist in Minden gave me family.  The Louisiana Annual Conference and Ruston District Youth ministries showed me family.  The community of Minden held me tightly within a concept of family.  And then my own family gave me so much.

Maybe this is the gift of modern technology and media has given us.  We are able to live in a larger concept of family.  Maybe this is the gift we have to give to the world when life does not make sense.   The gift is the presence of family. 

You are not alone.  I will not leave you as an orphan!

Pray for me as I pray for you.

In the Master’s name,

Rev. Dr. M. Jack O’Dell

www.stlukesimpson.org

www.midweekmanna.com

Can You Be More Specific?

Mandy, my darling wife, was riding towards her sister’s house from the nursing home after a long day of sitting with her father.  Her sister lives in Downsville which is about 12 miles north of Interstate 20.  As she began driving on the country road leading to Downsville, she all of a sudden was confronted with a horse in the middle of the road.  A big red horse was standing in the middle of the road.    Deciding that this could be a road hazard for someone else behind her, she called 911.

911 operators have such interesting conversations.

Mandy gave her name and told of the horse standing in the middle of the road on the specific highway.  The operator asked her, “Could you be more specific?”  Whereupon Mandy answered, “Yes, it was a big red horse!!!”

Now some of you will get the funny part of the story about three to four hours later or when someone explains it to you.  Some of us realize the humor of the situation.    The operator was obviously asking for how many miles the horse was from Interstate or what mile marker could the horse be found.  Rather than focusing on the location of the horse, Mandy was focused on the color of the horse.  

There are times when we are out of focus with things which God is very specific.  Now sometimes we just want to play dumb.  But most of the time we know more than we realize.

For example, Jesus said to love your enemies and do good to those who curse you.  Pray for those who mistreat you.  Luke 6:27-28.  We understand every word in that sentence.  For some of us, the letters are in red meaning that Jesus said this!  However, we want to excuse ourselves from such nonsense.  We would rather talk about other things.    Jesus is quite specific about it.  Specific and clear.

So the task for us is to be more specific in our daily living.  Our daily living is to be love specific.  It is to be missional specific—helping those in need.  It is to be prayer specific—PRAY—don’t THINK! 

 

So where are you?  And don’t even talk to me about a big red horse!

Pray for me as I pray for you.

In the Master’s Name,

Rev. Dr. M. Jack O’Dell

www.stlukesimpson.org

www.midweekmanna.com