Tragedy in Newtown: Is There Any Hope?

Our hearts go out to the family and friends affected by the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. Our nation will not soon forget the devastation and heartache of this the 2nd deadliest school shooting in our nation’s history. What is especially sad is the 20 children who lost their lives.
As a pastor people turn to me for answers. I confess I don’t have any secret knowledge to help people sort it out. In a general sense tragedies like this help us to understand that our world is broken and without repair. Sin has brought this brokenness, and as much as we try, none of us can escape our own tragic circumstances - whatever they may be. I’m not sure how satisfying that answer is. I know we are all still left with questions.
But I would also confess to you that if I believed there was no hope, no silver lining, no opportunity for healing in the midst of this tragedy or the myriad of tragedies we face in our world and in our own lives - then I wouldn’t be writing to you.
But I am convinced there is hope in the most hopeless circumstances. I’m convinced not because of what I don’t know, but based on what I do know. And that I gladly share with you.
Permit me to share a similar tragedy. In a town called Nain a mother lost her young son. This was her only son, and she was already a widow. Jesus happened to be walking by the funeral procession, and saw the young child who had died laid out on a stretcher. And you know how Jesus reacted? It says, “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her.” (Luke 7:13) In other words he had compassion, sorrow, and sympathy for this mother.
Here’s why that matters. Because you need to know what is going on in heaven with God when tragedy strikes. There is no laughter, no pleasure, and no delight. There is only sorrow and compassion for those affected by tragedy in Newtown, and for us as well.
You know President Obama showed a sympathetic heart in a speech he gave. He said he viewed himself not as a president on that day, but as a parent. He could consider how heartbreaking it would be to lose a child. Many parents put themselves in the shoes of those in Newtown as well.
But I ask you, can God relate to losing a child? Dear friends, it’s the essence of the message of Jesus. I mean that message seems so beautiful at Christmas. You hear about angels singing and swaddling clothes. But the message of Jesus is a tragedy. It’s about a Father losing his Son, a Father watching his Son die the most miserable of deaths. And what was the point of that tragedy?
So a simple guy like me could tell you there is hope. There is hope in the most hopeless circumstances and on our darkest days and bleakest hours. There is hope. Where sin brought death and devastation, a Savior brings new life and restoration. Because Jesus conquered sin through a cross. Because his resurrection points to restoration. May the God of this sure and certain hope work in your hearts, may he be at work in all those affected by our nation’s tragedy. Our prayers are with those in Newtown.