Reflection On Tragedy
How
does one sort out the words to address a great tragedy like Monday’s shooting
on the campus of Virginia Tech? The
event does not make much sense. Yes,
there will eventually be an explanation that the shooter, Cho Seung-Hui, was a disturbed individual who struggled
socially and felt hopeless and victimized.
Yet, these explanations will not be adequate, just as the analysis of
the shootings at the University of Texas in 1966 and Columbine High School in
1999 have never fully satisfied the question of why these events occurred. The reason these answer do not feel adequate
is because they only address the symptoms.
The question that we really want answered is: why is there evil in the
world? Why is it, that
a loving God like ours allows creation to kill itself?
In the third chapter of Genesis, we
find the story of how evil and sin first entered God’s creation. Unfortunately, it does not tell us why evil
and sin entered creation. Some theologians
have proposed that without evil and sin, there could be no free-will. In order to be able to truly make a decision,
one must have at least two options.
Ultimately these options are good and evil. The results of evil is a fallen creation; a
creation that is divided from itself and God.
Evil and sin effect not just humanity’s relationship with God, but also
the relationships between humans.
Actually, all of creation is thrown into fractured relationships. In the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, the
prophet describes a vision of heaven in which even the animals of creation
would be reconciled with each other. All
of creation is affected by evil and sin.
God’s answer to the fallen creation brought on by evil and sin is Jesus
Christ. Through Jesus’ life, death, and
resurrection, all of creation is reconciled to God and itself.
We find ourselves in the Eastertide
season; a season in which we celebrate the risen Christ, the Anointed One who
reconciles us with God and each other.
Amidst this celebratory time, we come face to face with the presence of
evil in the atrocious shooting on the campus of Virginia Tech. As Christians, we live in two worlds
simultaneously; we live in the
No, I cannot tell you why these events
happened. I cannot offer a reason why
they happened. I can tell you that they are a part of the
fallen creation. So what is God’s
response to this? I know God sent
Christ. I know that the Church is to be
Christ’s body here on earth. I know that
Jesus’ ministry often included Jesus empathizing, crying with, and suffering
with those whom he was sent to minister to.
Let our response be one of sharing in the grief of those affected by
this tragedy. Let our response be one of
sharing in each other’s grief. Let our
response be one of reaching out with care where we can. And where our arms of care are too short to
reach, let us reach out in prayer.
May the peace of Christ be with you,
Pastor J