Dear Friends,
News of the devastation in Oklahoma is still coming in. The loss of
life, the suffering, the mourning, and the destruction of property
break my heart and grieve my soul. My prayers continue to ascend for
all those affected, and I ask you to join me in those prayers.
I contacted Bruce and Susan MacPherson, and they assured me that they are safe and well.
At times like this some understandably wonder how a loving God could
allow such misery. Others--misguided in their thinking--point a finger
at those suffering loss and insist that God has visited just punishment
upon them. What slander against God! Just look at the Cross. There we
see God immersed in our darkest moments by his own choosing and for the
sake of our redemption and healing.
Our universe is infinitely complex. Chaos theory teaches us that
hurricanes (and tornadoes) arise in America from the fluttering of a
butterfly's wings in China. We sort through this infinite sea of data
with finite, fallible minds. We cannot fully grasp why such tragic
things happen. However, we can know that God has promised to redeem all
things. Even the bleakest, most shattered of things. And there lies
our hope and from there we draw our strength to do whatever good we can
do.
Among the goods we can do is prayer. Here is a prayer from Evening
Prayer and Compline that I share with you for the people of Oklahoma
tonight:
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the
dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen.
In Christ's Love,
+Jake
