God Does Not Leave The Building!

Sometimes life does not make sense.
Sometimes life sucks.
Not something you would expect to hear from a preacher type. At this time, you will just have to get over it. Tragedy and sadness cannot be expressed in terms lightly.
Let me share what I feel are one important theological misconception made in times like this. Not everything that happens in life is God's will. God did not will this to happen. God is not punishing anyone by this event. If this is your picture of how God works in life, I would suggest you break the frame and start all over.
There is a good and bad part of God's gift we call free will. Free will at its best is when creation yearns for goodness and beauty. Free will at its best is when a person stops to help a stranger in need. Free will at its best is when love wins. Free will at its best is when one sacrifices "MY rights and privileges" for greater good. Free will at its best is when the world makes a conscious decision to care for those who cannot care for themselves. Free will at its best lays down one's life for the sake of others.
Free will at its worst is the world's worst nightmare. It is a darkness that is void of conscious or meaning. It is a world of selfishness. It is when creation chooses to participate in behavior that destroys life. The consequences of this are more destructive than one can ever imagine.
God does not leave the building when tragedy occurs. In fact, I believe that God tries in every way to magnify God's presence. God is shouting for those who can make a difference. God is weeping. God is lifting. God knows what it is like to see senseless suffering and death. If you do not believe this, simply look at the cross one more time. I believe that God absorbs the pain of the innocent.
So what good can come from tragedy?
Our world can become a bigger world. The pain of the world becomes my pain and suffering. I no longer insulate myself from the senseless sufferings of children and families whom I will never meet. The world is God's world. If I want to be a part of God's world, I also must see God's world.
We can break through the isolation that occurs to families in crisis. When families go through crisis, the human tendency is to isolate. Families struggling with mental illness or depression do not know where to turn. Families in crisis try to appear normal in every sense while their world falls apart. We can open ourselves to our neighbors, coworkers, and friends in their struggle. We connect ourselves to helping them find whatever resources are available. We pray for them and with them. We remind them they are not alone.
We can begin a needed shift in our culture. We need to learn how to cope with our problems in a nonviolent manner. This is a learned skill. We teach our children that violence only brings more violence. We need wisdom in our culture as to the best way to manage the resources of life for goodness. We need to create the mantra that we will do whatever it takes to change our world so that THE CHILDREN WIN! The win for the sake of the children of our world trumps every other privilege we might claim. We will do whatever it takes for the children of the world to win!
I invite you to join me in choosing one of the persons whose life was cut short. Pick one. Put their name on a small sheet of paper that you will carry with you. Mine is on the backside of my cell phone—Dylan Hockley (6). From now through the Twelve Days of Christmas (Epiphany, January 6), I will pray each day. I will give thanks for Dylan's life. I will pray for his family and friends.
God has not left the building. The sufferings of this world are not borne alone. In fact, this season of the year assures us that God is present. God will be present. Come Jesus! Be born again and again! Even when life does not make sense.