Where Is Jesus? Where Is God?
2022년 5월 29일Where Is Jesus? Where Is God?
< Seventh Sunday of Easter >
Yet another senseless massacre of innocent children, this time in Uvalde, Texas, has shocked this country to its core. Ten years after the worst mass shooting of school children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., America had become jaded to the almost weekly news of shootings. Indeed, last week I’d mentioned that there had been 198 mass murders in 2022 alone. But by the end of last weekend it had already risen to 201. Twenty seven had been at schools. Amid all the shock, grief, anger and disbelief people of faith can be excused for asking: “Where is God in all this?”
Last Thursday we celebrated the Ascension of the Lord. Having risen from the dead, the Lord Jesus remained with his disciples another 40 days to instruct them on a new way of living in the world. Forgiveness would replace vengeance, love would conquer hate, dignity would be restored to humankind, especially to the poor, the oppressed, the lowly and the forgotten. The Resurrection changed the disciples grief and fear into unimaginable joy. But then the time came for Jesus to leave them again. It was time for them to grow up, to stand on their own two feet and to become adults who must now make decisions and do things by themselves. Jesus never promised life would be easy. But he promised to remain with us through the Holy Spirit so when things got difficult, we would not be overwhelmed and lose hope. Jesus is there, on the blood-stained floor of the Robb Elementary School in Texas. He has given us the courage, intelligence and faith to stand and do something about the violence in our country and world. All we lack is the courage and will power to put an end to these massacres once and for all. So the question is not “Where is God?” but rather “Where are we?”