Where do we find God in a hurting world? I think as people deal with all that has gone on in the past week: seeing the images, living in fear, having so many things happen in one week (terrorism, disaster at a plant, and now a natural disaster) we will try to find those ways and paths of healing. For ourselves and whatever fears come from our own hearts, to great stories of courage and help, to stories that sadden our hearts.
I think the stories which sadden my heart most are ones where people use violence again to try and solve violence. I read some posts yesterday which articulated this feeling too. When we use violence because we are angry or hurt we only bring more violence to ourselves and our world. Healing does not come through abusing another person, image, or symbol. Healing can only come by realizing our hurt, by walking through the "valley of the shadow" and knowing we are not alone.
Not too long ago I posted about Jesus' arrest in Luke and how he did not want his followers to use violence to free him from the violence that was about to happen to him. How do we loose sight of this when we respond to violence done to us. The example should be reaching out with love and forgiveness. Sometimes it takes time to get there, to work through all of our own hurt feelings. In those times it is better to wrestle with our questions and not act on our feelings. Only then can we bring healing.
Isn't this where we are to find God in a hurting world, in the midst of it all as we struggle to understand, God is there. This is why it is important to really feel, to pour out our hearts in prayer, to throw our dependence upon God in our life. We have no way of being able to step forward on our own, only with God in deep prayer and surrender will we find life, hope, and healing waters. Take time to pray it out today.
I think the stories which sadden my heart most are ones where people use violence again to try and solve violence. I read some posts yesterday which articulated this feeling too. When we use violence because we are angry or hurt we only bring more violence to ourselves and our world. Healing does not come through abusing another person, image, or symbol. Healing can only come by realizing our hurt, by walking through the "valley of the shadow" and knowing we are not alone.
Not too long ago I posted about Jesus' arrest in Luke and how he did not want his followers to use violence to free him from the violence that was about to happen to him. How do we loose sight of this when we respond to violence done to us. The example should be reaching out with love and forgiveness. Sometimes it takes time to get there, to work through all of our own hurt feelings. In those times it is better to wrestle with our questions and not act on our feelings. Only then can we bring healing.
Isn't this where we are to find God in a hurting world, in the midst of it all as we struggle to understand, God is there. This is why it is important to really feel, to pour out our hearts in prayer, to throw our dependence upon God in our life. We have no way of being able to step forward on our own, only with God in deep prayer and surrender will we find life, hope, and healing waters. Take time to pray it out today.
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