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Health & Fitness

Where is God?

Where is God? December 14, 2012 , Newtown Connecticut.

December 14, 2012 - Where is God? Rev. Rich Hasselbach, Pastor Clarkstown Reformed Church On Friday December 14th, in Newtown Connecticut, a sleepy little New England town, at about noon a gunman entered a kindergarten classroom, and killed 20 little children and six adults, including the kindergarten teacher, who was the gunman’s mother. Think of it, that Friday morning those 20 tots headed off to school. Their moms had packed a good healthy lunch, they took their papers and crayons in their little backpacks, pulled their hats over their ears and headed out of the house. Some went to the bus stop where they waited with their parents, and other kids, for the big yellow school bus to arrive. Others were driven by busy moms and dads who then went off to work or to do some Christmas shopping. It’s only a week and a bit before Christmas, and we’re in the middle of Chanukah - it’s a safe bet that each of those kids had presents waiting for them at home, presents that were to be carefully wrapped and put under a tree. Presents that were anxiously anticipated, perhaps they were even the subject of a letter to Santa, written in rough, childlike letters and posted to the North Pole. Then a gunman arrives, filled with anger and hate. We may never know what exactly motivated him, all we know is that he killed his mother and the little children she loved and taught. But he killed more than that, he killed the joy in the hearts of those children’s parents; he killed the peace and sense of security of each child in that school. He killed the joy that that small community ought to be feeling at this time of year. And for every year to come, Christmas will be a time to remember tragedy. I can think of no more diabolical act. What are we to make of this? What can our faith, our Christian faith, say to a tragedy so deep and so evil? How are we to understand this 21st century version of the story of the holy innocents? There are no easy answers. But the Christmas story does hold out for us, and for the people of Newtown Connecticut, some hope. In a backwards parts of a violent Empire, the God who set planets in their place, and has galaxies in his care, touched the life of a young girl betrothed in marriage to a man named Joseph. In her sixth month, the angel Gabriel appeared to her, sent by God. His appearance frightened Mary, but his message was quite gentle: “greetings, you are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Gabriel went on to tell her “do not be afraid.” Mary remained confused, because dealing with the Lord of the universe is almost by definition confusing. We don’t know how he works in our lives, but work in our lives he does! We don’t see the pieces of the puzzle of humanity as he sees them, but he sees! We don’t love with his loving heart, a heart that loves all, and knows all, and forgive us all. But he does know and forgive and love each one of us. Mary had to hold a lot in her heart precisely because she didn’t understand. But she had faith in the one who sent the angel, faith in the one who assured her that the son whom she carried would in fact “be called the son of the Most High.” The mother in Bethlehem grew to be the mother on Calvary. Like the mothers of Newtown Connecticut, she saw her son brutally killed. Like the mothers of Newtown, she felt emptiness, and loneliness, and grief. For her the Passover time would never be the same, it would always hold for her the memory of the death of her beloved son, the little child that she first held in a stable in Bethlehem. What could the angel have possibly meant, she must’ve thought, when he prophesied that her son Jesus would sit on the throne of his father David, and that his kingdom would have no end. Mary’s question was answered very early in the morning on the first day of the week when she and some other woman went to Jesus tomb prepared to anoint a corpse only to find the tomb open and the body missing. Then two other angels spoke, words that would echo down through the millennia: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” In the Angels’ message to Mary on that first Easter there is a message of hope for the grieving mothers of Newtown. Death is real, death is painful, death is unfathomable, but death does not have the last word. No life comes forth from the loving mind of our Creator without its purpose, and that purpose will not be frustrated. We may not see it because we don’t see the whole picture. We don’t know the nature of our life beyond this life. We may need to hold the questions in our hearts. But God has spoken clearly in his Christ: I am the God of life, not the God of death; and I will not lose even one of my little ones. So, mothers of Newtown, and so, too, all of us who grieve a lost loved one, know this, they live! They live with the Lord, they are one with the Lord, and in him they are one with us. Visit their tombs if it brings you comfort but don’t be deceived by them. Do not look for the living among the dead. --- Clarkstown Reformed Church 107 Strawtown Road West Nyack, NY 10994 (845) 358-4320 www.clarkstown.rcachurches.org --- A community of faith, friendship, and service committed to living the Gospel and striving to be the salt of the earth and light of the world. Sunday Worship is at 10:30 a.m.

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