Learning, and Growing, from a Tragedy:

Senator Creigh Deeds is a local lawyer and politician.  He has invested his life in the area where I'm privileged to live.  Over the past few days an incredible tragedy that struck his family has received national attention.  I've included some links to news articles at the end of this STTA.  The short version of what happened is that Creigh's son, Gus, suffering from mental illness, attacked his father with a knife, and after inflicting life-threatening wounds, killed himself with a gun.  That kind of grief on grief would cause many to crawl into a hole.  State Senator Deeds not only returned to his post in the Virginia legislature, but has mounted a campaign to address some of the short-comings in the way our society, particularly our governmental agencies address mental health problems.

  

What is one to do with the tragedy that comes into life lived in this sin-cursed world?  

  

The Apostle Paul talks to the point in 2 Corinthians 1.

  

   "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ." (2 Corinthians 1:3-5, NASB95)  

 

Who wants to sign up for such ministry?   

I can see hands not going up all over the place.  Mine are in my pockets.  As I look back over forty years of small church pastoring, I see a lot of those who ought to be "able to comfort those who are in any affliction."  As is always the case, ability does not necessarily equal performance.  I've observed some who became bitter, and others who became marvelous ministers of God's grace.  

The kind of grief the Deeds family is dealing with is off the chart.  Though few of us will be called on to deal with this kind of head-line tragedy, and most of us lack positions of power and prominence, still each of us are called on to work to a place in our pain where it becomes a platform from which we can reach out to others who hurt.

 

I didn't sign up.  It's just the way it is.

  

It's STTA.  

 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/26/politics/creigh-deeds-attack/ 

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/creigh-deeds-on-mental-health-legislation-weve-got-some-hard-work-to-do/ 

 

http://www.roanoke.com/news/politics/article_b41917ea-8769-11e3-a5d1-001a4bcf6878.html 

Sad News -- Good News:

SOMETHING  TO THINK ABOUT

Last night, while most of us were sleeping, a gunman stood up in a crowded movie theater in Colorado, set off a tear gas cannister and began shooting people.  The last I heard fifteen were dead and fifty injured.   Why? Well other than the broadest answers--that we live in a fallen world, where some people are deeply disturbed--we don't know, yet. Tragic!? Yes.  People, mostly teens and young adults, showed up for some mindless diversion, which no doubt involved vicarious violence and were subjected to real, life-and-death mayhem.  One of the victims is an infant.  Each of the dead and hurting is someone's sister, brother, child, or friend. What are we going to do about it? I heard some variety of this question several times on the news show I was watching.  It was encouraging to hear President Obama's statement indicating aare committed to "bringing whoever was responsible to justice."  Some speculated that in the future movie-goers might be prevented from wearing costumes to big events, like this premier of the Batman movie.  I won't be surprised to hear calls for metal detectors or searches.  Could we have an MSA (Movie Security Agency) in the future.  One FBI agent, I heard interviewed, wisely said, "We can't lock down the nation." A few hours before the tragedy near Denver, here in Covington VA, 1,500 hundred miles away some folk were doing something about it--even though we didn't, and still don't know the specifics of "it."  TEENWEEK finished up last night.  Sunday through Thursday speaker Glenn Kuhar and the rest of the TEENWEEK staff sought to give kids a reason for hope, and purpose for life in this sin-cursed, fear inducing world.   Share the Good News about Jesus!  It's what we can do. It's STTA   http://covingtonbiblechurch.com/lifesmostimportant.html

Messing with the Mess, or Cleaning It Up?

Have you noticed, this world is in a mess?

Natural disasters, made worse by crumbling technology.

Hard-hearted, not to mention "headed" dictators see their positions of power as a means for personal enrichment.

When the oppressed people rise up, too often their movement is hi-jacked by those with another destructive agenda.

The age old observation, "I don't know what this world is coming to!" is certainly apropos.

Is it like the weather?

Everybody talks about it, but no one does anything about it. Certainly talk is not only cheap, but incredibly abundant. The airwaves, cables, and Internet are full of talk. I'm listening to some of it in the background as I type this piece.

I'm glad to say some are doing more than talking. Certainly the dedicated men and women in our armed forces are making an incredible difference, but that is another article, for another day. Right now I'm thinking about those who go out with the Bible being their weapon. They battle for the hearts of people.

Jesus told His followers to go into all the world and seek to make disciples--fully devoted followers of Christ. This weekend at Covington Bible Church we honor those who leave home to take the Good News to places where the folk aren't likely to hear unless they do go. I'm thinking about folk who have gone to regions dominated by modern secularism, to proclaim a two millennia old message that is still relevant. Or, others who have gone to people who have barely emerged from the stone-age, people who still live under the oppression of spirits real and imagined that makes their life dark and fearful. Like the brave firemen who ran into the twin-towers while others were fleeing, these men and women go to places not because they are safe or comfortable, but because the need is great.

But not only do we honor those who have gone, we encourage others to go. Billions of people still have not heard the Good News that "God so loved the world. . . ."

Find out more about CBC's Missions Emphasis Weekendhere. We'd love for you to join us. This world is a mess. Let's do something about it.

It's STTA.