...6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God,which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus... - Philippians 4:6-7
Good morning. There are moments in life when the road ahead seems too perilous to continue onward, too grueling to proceed forward. I don't know how you feel, but it seems to me that many have experienced such moments over the last month. Whether caused by acts of nature or acts of man, many remain unsure of where he or she is to go now. Even if they know which way to go, they are still not sure they want to go any farther.
Though universal, suffering and grief retain a tangible uniqueness when we experience them. Sure I've been devastated by loss, but nothing like the devastation suffered by those living along the shores of Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. I'd like to pretend there are just one or two families being confronted with the task of replacing their homes and belongings, while at the same trying to cope with the loss of loved ones they cannot replace. The reality, however, is that there are thousands of families bearing this dual responsibility.
While I've experienced the pain of senseless loss, it is completely different the heartbreak shared by the families victimized by automatic gun fire. After the shooting at Columbine High School, I remember thinking, "surely it can't any worse than this." Well almost 20 years later the senseless loss of life in Las Vegas shows just how much worse it is. And by worse I am referring to our inability to enjoy outdoor music without the risk of parents burying their children, or little boys and little girls growing up without their parents.
Such great suffering almost always leads us in search some kind of relief, some type of remedy. For the believer and non-believer alike, Philippians 4 describes how peace can bring us relief from our suffering, how peace can remedy our pain. This last month has made clear how desperate our world is for a peace that transcends all understanding. For this peace not only has the power the quiet the storms of grief raging in our hearts, but has the strength to silence automatic weapons forever.
As one who has suffered and grieved, I have only one morsel of advice for the victims of hurricanes, guns, and wildfires still try deciding where to go with their lives and it is this...don't turn back. My own loss taught me that if I could not go back to that time and place when everything was right and good, then the only way to go was the one that went forward.
So this week I pray that we do not fall back when the perilous roads of suffering confront us, but instead find the courage to press on. Let us not avoid the grueling paths of sorrow, but rather discover the resolve to see it through. Let us not retreat from rough seas of grief, but instead find the determination to stay the course.
CJE