Triumph in the Face of Tragedy
Why, God, did you allow all of those kids in Newtown to be murdered in a senseless school shooting?
God, why were the two terrorists allowed to wreck havoc on the town of Boston for a week?
Why, God, did you allow a tornado to swoop through Oklahoma, killing and injuring hundreds of people while destroying their homes and community?
These questions are legitimate ones. Nobody likes death or takes joy in seeing others suffer, and when we are unable to find answers as to why evil produces such tragic results, our first notion is to point the finger at the One who is in control: God.
But if we are really honest with ourselves, we will realize that it’s often in those moments of hell that we get our greatest glimpse of heaven here on Earth.
Think about it: Jesus said the second greatest commandment is, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Perhaps no more have we seen this commandment carried out than in the response to those aforementioned tragedies.
People from all over the country united in faith and love to comfort the cities of Newtown and Boston. Donations have flooded in to Oklahoma, including NBA superstar Kevin Durant’s $1 million contribution to the tornado recovery efforts. Crying victims have been consoled. Churches have filled with those praying for comfort and understanding. Conversations with family and friends mean that much more, as we again have been reminded that tomorrow is not promised.
As this all occurs, we see a true example of God’s love (1 Corinthians 13), the kind, unselfish, protecting, hopeful and persevering love that will never fail us when we put it into practice.
The sad part is that it takes tragedy for us to be reminded of, and to walk out, the life that God calls us to lead. When times are good and the blessings are flowing, that’s when many of us are the most prideful, believing that we are the creator of our own success and choosing to invest ourselves into the gifts rather than the Giver.
What’s even sadder is how quickly we forget these lessons. A month later, many of the same people who vowed to change have reverted back to the same self-seeking and faithless lifestyle they had before the tragedy – until another act of violence or evil comes to jolt us back into a Godly state of mind. And the cycle continues…
In no way am I saying that God takes delight in our suffering or allows bad things to happen for the heck of it. We are God’s glory and He wants nothing more than for us to be fruitful and to have a joyous existence. Why else would He send His Son Jesus to die for us?
We also must remember that as humans, we will never have all the answers. So to speak of a natural disaster or act of violence as simply a measure of God’s judgment against us is speculation and sometimes dangerous. God operates in love and discipline, not out of spite.
But in the same token, none of us deserve any of the good things that God ushers into our life. As Jesus said in Mark 10:18, “No one is good except God alone.” And the one person who endured the most suffering under God’s watch, Jesus, deserved it the least. Love drove Christ’s act of dying on the cross for our sins.
By this we know there’s a purpose for every circumstance, good or bad, that God brings into our lives. Ultimately, it’s up to us to let love drive our response, just as Jesus did. My favorite Bible verse, Romans 8:28, reminds us that “all things work together for the good for them who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” In other words, God redeems our times of suffering for His glory and our betterment.
Through tragedy, our faith can be refined and we are provided a chance to glorify God by showing others that our circumstances can’t dictate our praise and love for God. The only way we can “rejoice in our sufferings” is by using them to produce the endurance, hope and character written about in Romans 3:3-5.
When my Mom passed away unexpectedly in 2004, my world was turned upside down. The woman who had helped introduce me to Christ and prayed for me in my most wayward moments was now gone. Before then, if someone had asked me what I would do if my Mom died, I probably would have said, “I’d be staring down from the top of a bridge, questioning life and God’s goodness.” But in the eight-and-a-half years since then, as I’ve grown as a man of God and put those same spiritual lessons from my Mom into practice, I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today if she wasn’t where she is today in Glory.
Through that experience, I found a greater understanding of Genesis 50:20, which says that what the devil meant for bad, God meant for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
In the wake of this year’s tragedies, I’m positive that at least one person has been challenged to re-evaluate their life, seeking spiritual counsel in church or from the laborers (Luke 10:2) whom God has sent to usher them into a personal relationship with Him. God works from the inside out. His concern is our salvation and character, and not necessarily our comfort. Once we receive the Holy Spirit, we possess the know-how and eternal joy to reform ourselves, act graciously, understand truth and make the right decisions.
God wants to ensure that our suffering is not in vain, meaning that we or someone else will benefit from it. And if we are wise, we will use the lessons from that suffering to enhance the good stretches in life and exhibit God’s selfless love.
So the next time we want to ask why God allows tragedy to happen, think about this: Why does it take tornados, shootings and death for us to unite and follow God’s command to love our neighbor and to live to fulfill His purpose for us?
Brandon Parker is an award-winning sports reporter for The Washington Post. He owns a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of North Carolina and a Master’s Degree from Northwestern. Prior to joining the Post, Parker served as an associate editor and writer for ESPN Rise Magazine.
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