What kind of world are we living in?

I guess it is hard NOT to address what happened yesterday at Va Tech. It is hard not to think about how 32 young kids lost their lives and over what?! More than anything, as a soon-to-be mom, it is hard not to think about the kind of world that my child will be growing up in. It is a very scary prospect. Being bombarded with the images of horror, I find that the quiet of the morning has given me some time to ponder and process it all a little more. For that, I am grateful.

Some of my processing time came in staff meeting this morning. The question was this: do we address what has happened in Virginia this week in service? It seems unnatural not to touch on it. At times like this, people question how a loving and just God could allow such atrocities to occur. It is mind boggling (or mind-bottling, if you are a Chas Michael Michaels fan) how a good God would let such things happen. I guess it is that whole "problem of evil" debate all over again. Somehow, I think we HAVE to address it, not just because it is such a public issue, but also because it is such a personal issue. It hurts because it hits close to home. In every church, in every city and in every pew, people are dealing with pain. People lose loved ones, suffer from emotional traumas, live with constant lack of fulfillment in their lives. It comes in different ways and in different forms but we all experience it. So, why wouldn't we talk about it? Why wouldn't we wrestle with God? Why can't we be angry with him for the world that we live in? I think in most churches, that is taboo. I am glad it isn't here.

I guess this is my theory (and, remember, I am just a lowly lay person, really! I have never been to Bible College or really studied theology... so, I could just be popping off. BUT, it is MY blog. If you disagree, start your own :) As I said from the beginning, I never assumed anyone would be interested in what I have to say about anything... why should that change now?!?! Just let me type and process... thanks!) So, here it goes...You cannot have victory without a battle. In other words, I don't know that we could fully experience the amazing good of our God without the juxtaposition against the cruelty of this world. You can call it yin and yang, good vs. evil... whatever you like. But I think it is true. I have been thinking a lot today about the Va Tech community. My gut tells me that it is not a place of horror and fear today. Sure, there may be traces of that, but I think at the heart of it all, at the epicenter, there is grief and pain but there is also a surreal sense of comfort and peace. I think that is often the way of things. I think back to the shooting within the Amish community this past year. I know so many people were mesmerized by their peace about the situation and their ability to forgive. I think that the reality is that we were finally shown a community that was able to name it for what it was: a peace that surpasses all human understanding. I also think back to the time just after 9/11. I remember that sense of loss and pain... not just for those people in New York but for me too. There was such a loss of innocence. A feeling that the world we live in will forever be changed. But I also remember feeling an odd sense of calm and a new thread of dependence on other people in my community and on a God would could not only sustain me and our nation but also heal us. I just hope and pray that my little theory is right and that the same can be said for the people of Blacksburg, VA today.

So, what does any of this have to do with Pip? Quite a bit, I suppose. In the last 24 hours, I have visited the usually baby center message boards and a common thread is that many expectant moms worry about the world their kids will grow up in. I guess I know that this world is sometimes horrifying. That there is evil that roams free and justice does not always prevail. I suppose that I also know that there IS good in this world. That people CAN have a positive impact on other people and that we serve a God whose heart breaks for the pain we endure. I guess I just want to teach Pip to be that second kind of person, the person whose heart breaks at the things that break the heart of God. That Pip becomes the kind of person that wants to enact change in this world, to BE the hands and feet of Jesus, whether that means serving the poor and disenfranchised people on the other side of the world or just carrying the groceries for the little old lady at the market. I want Pip to know that he/she is a part of the story of God. That Pip has a calling and a purpose; to BE Jesus to people cause Pip may be the only Jesus that people ever see. I suppose that is a very tall task but I think it is doable. And if even a few people in this world want to do the same, then I KNOW that this world will be a better place than it is today.
As Jesus said: Thy kingdom come, thy will be done... on EARTH as it is in heaven.

Maybe I am theologically whacked, but thinking about it this way makes it easier for me to sleep at night. It also makes it easier for me to serve a God that I know is about mercy, love and compassion. I know he is present in the pain. And I know, today, he is holding Blacksburg, Virginia tightly to his chest.