The Numbness Of Newtown

Newtown.

A recent editorial in the Frederick News Post, Frederick, MD., said it well:  "Why did it happen?...How do we stop it from happening again?  Right now, we don't know. We have no answers. We don't even know if we can offer the right questions..." - Editorial, Frederick News Post, December 15, 2012

Frankly, no right questions or answers will surface, until we comprehend: the tragedy at Newtown is fundamentally a moral, biblical issue, rooted in the fallenness, depravity, sinfulness of us all.  Prophet Jeremiah underscores this when he says: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9, ESV).   Well we can't.  But we can articulate implications, implications arising from sin-sickness.  Such implications go on to form mile-posts -- which help us move through the tragedy and numbness of Newtown.  

Mile-Post #1 - Recognize:  Evil Is 'At Play,' Not Just Sickness.  As Al Mohler recently reflected: "...we cannot accept the inevitable claims that [the young murder at Newtown) is to be understood as merely sick...[Yes] his crimes were sick beyond words, and he was undoubtedly unbalanced -- but he pulled off a cold, calculated, and premeditated crime, monstrous in its design and accomplishment. Christians know that this is the result of sin and the horrifying effects of The Fall. Every answer for this evil must affirm the reality and power of sin. The sinfulness of sin is never more clearly revealed than when we look into the heart of a crime like this and see the hatred toward God that precedes the murderous hatred he poured out on his little victims..." (http://www.albertmohler.com/2012/12/14/rachel-weeping-for-her-children-the-massacre-in-connecticut/).   

Mile-Post #2 -  Give Thanks:  God Is Victorious, Ultimately, Over Evil, Atrocity, And Sin.  Though evil is real, evil does not have the last word; God has the last word through the victory of Jesus 'sealed' through Jesus' death on the Cross, and Resurrection from the grave.  As Paul affirms: "No, in all ... things we are more than conquerors...For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, either the present nor the future, no any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  (Romans 8:37-39, NIV)    Pretty exhaustive, covering 'any and all circumstance,' including the death, demons and depth of Newtown.

Mile-Post #3 --  But Be Patient:  God's Victory Is Always In God's Time.  God does have the last word, but often God articulates that word slowly and deliberately.  Rick Warren expresses this reality graphically: yes when God closes one door (or allows a door to be closed), God open another door, but, the waiting time in the hallway can feel like hell (Rick Warren, Twitter, November 8, 2012, adapted).  Frankly, that's where we find ourselves, at the moment, in Newtown -- in hell.  But hell is not the 'end of the story.'  Remember the bible character Job; why Job found himself  in hell, losing his wealth, his children, and his physical health.  But Job kept praying:  "I know that you [God] can do all things, no plan of yours can be thwarted."  (Job 42:1).  And sure enough, God came through for Job, but in God's time, not Job's time; not in Job 1, but in Job 42, at least nine months later.

Mile-Post #4 -- Believe: Nothing Is Ever Wasted.  In spite of God's victory and provision, the residue of evil can remain.  But good news:  God can use and redeem anything.  This Christmas, my wife Robin created the most creative gold stars ever, as ornaments for our Christmas tree.  But here's the rub:  these incredible stars are made out of discarded, 'used up,' discolored file folders; the kind you'd normally just throw-out!  But Robin took these file folders and refashioned them into beautiful stars, nevertheless!  God does likewise; God takes the 'old file folders,' the parts of life normally thrown out, and refashions them into incredible things.  Whether its refashioning a feeding trough, a manger, into the birthplace of the King of all Kings -- or refashioning the horror of Newtown into something usable, God works everything together -- eventually -- into something...good.

Mile-Post #5 -  See:  Light Shines In The Darkness, Nevertheless. One of the most remarkable scriptures ever, is in John 1: 5.  "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."  (John 1:5, ESV)  Any darkness, including the darkness of Newtown.   Oh, the darkness, the evil of Newtown is deep and thick -- but in spite of such thickness, Light penetrates and has preeminence. 

This became real for me recently, in the loss of my Aunt Jean; a heavy loss with lots of power to 'pull life down.' But at Jean’s funeral last Saturday, a friend reminded me of an event that occurred on Friday, at the very cemetery Jean’s buried at: Rose Hill Cemetery.  Why on Friday night, folks at Rose Hill gathered for their annual candle lighting ceremony.  And as they did, folks not only lit a large Christmas tree, they also walked the entire cemetery, lights in hand, with one goal: to line every road in that cemetery, in that dark place, with light, as a reminder:  there is hope beyond death; there is power greater than even darkness, or any reality that surrounds our days!

There is a power greater than any reality that surrounds our days.  And that power is Jesus, the Light of the World.   Oh we might think someone or something else is more powerful -- but only Jesus is all-powerful, able to address any longing, any heartache, any need -- including....the numbness of Newtown.