NO!

Like all of you, I have had a hard time wrapping my mind around Friday's events. In fact, I try to stay away from the news, because part of me is not tough enough to hear the details. I'm not naive. I am well aware of brokenness. I have seen it! I have caused it! But, when helpless children become the victims of a fallen world, it is almost too much to bear. I don't really know what to say or do.

But, I believe God says, "NO!"

"NO! This is not what I designed!"
"NO! This is not what I want!"
"NO! This is not acceptable!"
"NO! I will not let Creation do this to itself!"
"NO! This is not "How it is!'"
"NO! I did not make children to be shot!"

Today, God says "NO!" to the events in Connecticut just like he said NO to the Fall in the garden, just like he said NO to a world gone mad in Noah's day, just like he said NO by raising up a light through Abraham, just like he said NO to slavery in Egypt...

Just like God said NO in the resurrection of Jesus!

The empty tomb says "NO!" to death! The resurrection doesn't repair the shattered souls of parents, spouses and friends grieving today. It doesn't make the horrifying reality any less real; it doesn't explain how God works exactly; it doesn't erase the difficult questions. But it does say that God will not stop until all children are safe, violence a forgotten memory, and shocking headlines simply myths.

So I pray Christ-followers in Connecticut will join God is saying NO, not by offering solutions or suggesting simple theological fixes, but by surrounding the families and community of Newtown in love. I pray Jesus people will say, "We will not leave you alone. We will love you as long as you need us too. We will struggle with you. We will scream with you. We will question with you. We will rebuild with you. We will not leave you. In Jesus' name we will not accept the current state of things."

God says NO.

This gives me hope in what appears to be hopeless times.

I want to say NO too.