Friends,

My wife and I were shopping and taking my 87 year old father to lunch on Friday December 14th. When we travel, we rarely turn on the radio. So we were blissfully unaware of the horror unfolding at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown Ct. By the time we heard the awful news, surviving kids were home safe, the President had spoken and families were still learning who had lived and who had died. Our hearts are broken for the unspeakable that has happened.

So God, we have some questions today. Where were you when all this was happening? Why didn't you do something? How many times must we ask these questions before God answers?

Maybe God has answered but we aren't listening. Should God force us all to never do anything wrong in order to protect us from ourselves? Should I be robbed of my free will to choose good over evil? Doesn't God beg us to choose to be a blessing and give up the evil in our hearts? Didn't God send his son to  show us what love looks like? Did he save even his own son from violent death?

There will be lots of soul searching and debate in the days ahead about what to do so these awful tragedies will never happen again. Sadly, I doubt that's possible while evil stalks this world. But this  I do know. Whatever darkness or hell awaits us on this earth, God is with us. Emmanuel. Even in Newtown Ct. This is God's promise.

That promise did not die on Friday.

Loran
Pastor