Will God Heal Sandy Hook Elementary? Will God Heal Our World?

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Will God Heal Sandy Hook Elementary? Will God Heal Our World?

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Out of respect for the grieving parents and family, I don’t want to even mention the name of the murdered little six year old boy I saw in the casket.

I attended the first funeral of 20 massacred children in Connecticut. I was the last in line.

In our media-saturated, intrusive, if-it-bleeds-it-leads age of random fiction and non-fictional violence, the up close, zoomed in and personal reaction shot seems like naked intrusion into the deeply personal sorrow, sadness and search for meaning by all who attend a funeral on an occasions such as this.

Last Friday, December 14, 2012 was like another 9/11 event for many of us in the United States.  It touched many as the worst form of meaningless random terror on a scale that leads to a personal and a collective numbing shock.

I shook the hands of mother and father and teenage brother in the first row, saying I was a pastor in New York City. I said I have four children. I told mom and dad the congregation was praying for them, we love them and my wife is thinking of her.  

The boy’s mom was very present, very outgoing, very moved and appreciative as I looked into her and her husband’s very pleasant and kind eyes. They are very genuine, authentic New England Americans. Somehow they represented our country in the moment—ordinary, yet extraordinary. But sadly caught in the cross hairs of senseless terror.

Then I turned, looked toward the open casket.  There he was, face beaming, as if he could open his eyes in a second and crack a great big smile.  Here was the cutest little 6 year old boy you ever saw, a boy like everybody wants, vivacious, athletic, fun.  

He looks as if he is merely sleeping.

According to the Bible, that is exactly what he is doing. That is what all 20 children killed in this beautiful small Connecticut town are doing.  Sleeping. And after sleep comes life.

But what does this traumatic experience for 40 mothers and fathers, dozens of brothers and sisters, thousands of friends, and hundreds of millions Americans mean?

Within the tears that I experienced driving back to New York City yesterday, it came to me that when you meditate on the Word of God in the midst of these experiences, there is a very strong message from God.  It is the core message of Christ. The entire Bible is about it. 

What is it? The answer from Scripture is not what the grieving are being told. I’ll be writing more on this tomorrow.

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Comments

  • Andlu Macar

    I appreciate this UP & CLOSE & Personal look at this tragedy. For 3 days I processed in mentally, intellectually, analytically.

    Then I read one set of parents description of what their murdered daughter was like when living, what she did around the house, how they were still finding her little notes hidden in little places always telling them how much she loved them... and I fell apart.

    I was a total emotional basket case that afternoon... I am not sure what work I did ... and if so, how many errors I made... all of this, in spite of what I KNOW God teaches, in spite of touching the screen to "feel her face" and thinking about the day when HE calls her and she rises from her tomb... In spite of know knowing this little girl personally, or her family or her community.

    May the day come FAST when He again says: Talitha kummi... and she rises from 6 feet deep soil to be embraced by her Maker and Savior...

    Thank you again Mr. Davis for your talented expression of what was in your being and the transfer of TRUTH Knowledge into this page for the benefit of those who, related or not, like me, can and do grieve over this tragedy.

    afa, Luis

  • KARS

    I completely understand what you mean by a look of sleeping.
    I went to a funeral and like you remembered the scripture about we are sleeping.
    That is how she looked to me. The family had her dressed so nicely and she looked so peacefully asleep. I will be ready to read your "to be cont." of your article.

    Thanks for sharing,
    K.

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