This has been quite a week. Numerous deaths of people I admire, especially Brennan Manning, who I give thanks for daily by adopting his name for us ragamuffins in my personal email address, ragamuffinjulie@gmail.com. Then Boston, West, Oklahoma, and numerous other tragedies have fallen like unrelated but communal dominoes. Words cannot fully express the sadness, the hope, the heroism of these days.
My friend and former North Texas Conference colleague, Bishop Gary Mueller, wrote the following, and I cannot improve on his sentiments this day:
God, where are you?
It’s been a week of tragedies. Some - like the Boston Marathon bombing - have been intentional in order to bring death, chaos and fear. Others - like the explosion of the fertilizer plant in West, Texas – may have been caused by human error, but people would have done anything to stop it if only they had known. Still others - like the storms in Oklahoma last evening - are simply and sadly the results of humanity being in the path of nature. And, then, there are the countless daily personal tragedies - like the death of children from starvation, sexual abuse, addiction, the breakup of families and terrible illnesses - that never make the news. When any tragedy strikes, you probably ask, “God, where are you in all of this?” Although some people may argue that God is responsible because God allows it to happen, God’s not responsible for any tragedy. God’s not punishing sinful people. God’s not concocting some large-scale teachable moment. God’s not instigating suffering to bring about some greater good. But just because God’s not responsible does not mean that God is not present. Because God is. Fully present. Personally present. Actively present. And this God is inviting you to experience God’s transforming love in the most unexpected ways as love defeats hate, hope replaces despair, healing occurs in the midst of brokenness and life emerges out of the ashes of death.
Thank you, Bishop Mueller.
A prayer that many clergy will be using this weekend is one written for times such as these by Laurence Hull Stookey. Will you pray it with me today?
Prayer in Times of Great Distress
God, our help and our hope in every time of life:
We bow before you in distress and confusion.
Devastation and death seem to rule your world today.
We know not where to turn, nor even how to pray.
Assure us that you know our thoughts before we think them,
that you accept
petitions that have no words,
prayers that are inarticulate anguish,
even anger in the face of events we do not understand.
Remind us of your presence with Jesus
in his hours of agony,
in the face of abandonment by many whom he trusted,
in the pain of crucifixion,
and even in death itself.
Enable us to know that you do not desert us
but in times of need stand even closer than before.
Comfort those who mourn.
Give hope to those who seem to have lost all hope.
With your healing power, touch any who are injured;
to all medical and rescue workers
give patient endurance, wisdom, and skill.
As you give us opportunity to serve those in need,
grant also generous spirits
and the wise and efficient use of our abilities
in offering aid.
If today our words of praise are mute,
if today we find it easier to curse than to bless,
point us to the empty tomb,
which lies beyond the cross.
Remind us that it may be Friday now,
but in your Providence Sunday’s coming,
and your love will see us through
every darkness,
every doubt,
every desolation.
For you, O God, are our hope and our strength,
an ever present help in time of trouble;
to you we pray through Jesus Christ
who triumphs over all things. Amen.
Written by Laurence Hull Stookey, This Day: A Wesleyan Way of Prayer, Abingdon Press: 2004.
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