As we continue to anticipate
the coming of the Christ-child during this Advent season, we are forced to
pause in our joyful anticipation and compelled to reflect on the anticipation
that 20 families in Newtown, CT. experienced 6 and 7 years ago. For them, their
anticipation of their boy children and girl children has become bitter sweet as
they deal with the act of a madman in the Sandy Hooks Elementary School who
took the lives of 20 6 & 7 year olds – 8 boys and 12 girls as well as 6 of
their teachers.
The event raises many
questions for us as we try to deal with the reality of this tragedy and
consider the vulnerability of our own children and grandchildren. - our
neighbors’ children and our nieces and nephews, and grand nieces and nephews.
How can people of faith deal
with such tragedy? How can a loving God allow such a thing to happen? What can
be done to prevent a recurrence in the future? How can people without faith
deal with such tragedy?
I have to confess to my own
feeling of inadequacy due to the pain that I am feeling myself but I can try to
bring some sense of hope into the conversation.
I would like to begin by
quoting the words of our own bishop Debra Kiesey:
"The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. - John 1:5
This upcoming Friday marks
the Winter Solstice, the moment in the northern hemisphere when we experience
the longest day of darkness during the year. For many of us, Friday,
December 14, will instead feel like the darkest day of 2012. It was on
this quiet Friday morning, in a quaint town in Connecticut, that a young man
wearing combat gear and armed with multiple weapons walked into an elementary
school and took the lives of 20 little children and six adults who cared for
them.
For the loved ones of those
killed in Newtown, Conn., we struggle to find ways to express our deep
collective grief and anguish over this senseless loss of innocent life.
We mourn the loss of all these Children of God whose promising futures ended so
abruptly. We mourn the loss of innocence and feelings of security in our
communities. We mourn the loss of feelings of joy, celebration and
goodwill in this Advent season, overshadowed by a dark event.
For the victims and all those
impacted by this tragedy in Newtown, we pray that God surrounds and comforts
them as they try to cope with such incomprehensible loss. We also pray
for the young man that was responsible for creating this pain on Friday.
Help us understand how he could commit such a senseless act to deal with his
own personal darkness.
In times of grief, we are
reminded that darkness is no match for light. As the 1677 hymn “Christ is
the World’s Light” proclaims, “Christ is the world’s light, Christ and none
other; born in our darkness, he became our brother. No one can serve him and
despise another. Who else unites us, one in God the Father?”
For, I am reminded that as
people of light, we are drawn to follow the illumination given freely to us in
the form of a savior born over 2,000 years ago. The promise of a new
life, free from sin. The promise of unconditional love and forgiveness.
The promise of a light that can shatter any darkness.
Today, we pray that the light
of Jesus Christ reaches the hurting people of Newtown and the hearts of all of
us who need to feel God’s love.
Blessings,
Bishop Deborah Lieder-Kiesey"
“For, I am reminded that as
people of light, we are drawn to follow the illumination given freely to us in
the form of a savior born over 2,000 years ago. The promise of a new
life, free from sin. The promise of unconditional love and forgiveness.
The promise of a light that can shatter any darkness.”
Those words of encouragement
must uphold each one of us who grieve over the senseless loss of these dear
ones.
And hear these words from
Scripture:
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name. Psalm 147
and calls them each by name. Psalm 147
We can believe that on
Friday, December 14, 2012 God welcomed 27 new stars into His heaven and called
them each by name. He also grieved over the loss of one whom He loved; who
chose eternal separation from Him: Adam Lanza – a troubled young man who on
Friday began by killing his own mother before moving on to the children and
their teachers.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46
Many have asked, “Where was
God when this happened?” He was in the same place that He always is; as He
declared, “I will put my sanctuary among
them forever. 27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be
their God, and they will be my people. 28 Then the nations will
know that I the Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them
forever.”
He is here! Now and forever!
Even though He is banned from our schools by men, He is there because He is
God. He sees what goes on and He grieves with and for us. But He will not interfere
because He gave us a free will to do good and to do evil. Many choose to do
evil and we all suffer from their choices even as we suffer from the choices of
Adam and Eve to disobey God in Paradise. He does intercede in some miraculous
way in some instances – like teacher Victoria Soto who protected her first
graders from Adam Lanza and paid for it with her life but directed him in
another direction before he killed her.
What can be done to prevent
further tragedies like the Sandy Hooks Elementary massacre? I have a
suggestion, also from Scripture. We prayed it many times during the political
process in our country. “…if my people,
who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and
turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive
their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
I think that we all recognize
that we who are known by the Name of His Son are His people. I believe that we
have prayed – perhaps even humbled ourselves (in service and love of neighbor)
but have we yet turned from our wicked ways?
Have we put an end to the
slaughter of the unborn in our land? Do we still tolerate sin in whatever way
it presents itself – denominational exclusionism and pride, judgment of those
who worship differently than us, do we let our children stay home from church
because “it’s too much hassle” to make them come with us, or do we drop them
off at church and then pick them up afterward thereby giving no example of the
importance of regular community worship, do we teach them to tithe from an
early age, do we keep our mouths shut when God’s Name is used in vain, do we
avoid the Sacraments?
Perhaps you’ve never thought
of the above or similar activities as sin. We should be guided by Jesus’
brother, James’, warning when he said, “Anyone,
[then,] who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” James
4:17
How do those who have no
faith deal with such tragedies? I don’t know! Because “…without faith it is impossible to please God,
because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards
those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
Post Script: I can't help wondering how many of those dear souls would still be with us if teachers and administrators had had the option to arm themselves and defeat the evil that visited Sandy Hooks Elementary. Unarmed citizens are like ducks on a pond to individuals intent on evil.
