Scripture: Romans 4:18 (the Message)
When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn’t do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him, “You’re going to have a big family, Abraham!”
Thought for the Day: I had to do a little digging to find the quote, but it was Dwight D. Eisenhower who said, “There’s no tragedy in life like the death of a child. Things never get back to the way they were.” In my years of ministry, I’ve witnessed this truth, but what happens when it is the death of 20 young children, and 7 adults? What happens when it is an unspeakable act of violence? For many families in Connecticut, life will never go back to the way it was. The only hope for healing is forward, and right now, that path seems both dark and impassable. The desire to even take the first step probably doesn’t exist. For our sisters and brothers caught in the chasm of grief and hopelessness, we must be willing to be their companions along the way. We do so, not by judging or pretending to understand (unless, by chance, you have journeyed this path before), but as humble servants of grace. For most of us, prayer will be the only gift we’ll be able to offer, but let us never discount its ability to share love and hope.
Prayer: Lord God, may this prayer be only one among many shared for and on behalf of those who grieve this day. Let the spiritual energy of individuals and communities be offered as a small symbol of our willingness to be companions on the journey of healing. Amen.
