Speak to Us in Our Pain

In the face of tragedy and violence, all too common in an age of violent men who resort to violence when their arguments fail to convince, it is easy to respond in kind. It would be easier, we tell ourselves, if the God allowed us to hate terrorists. Why should grace extend to those who allow hate to justify their murderous actions?

I have certainly wrestled with these questions. In the wake of 9/11, I spent many days and nights wondering about the justice of God in the deaths of so many whose only crime had been being American, prosperous and free. We may not have gotten along with all those that perished...but since when does that justify such violence? What should a man do in response to such an attack on innocents?

It is only reasonable that the tragedy in Mumbai has elicited similar questions.

Pain is intended to cause us to pause. When we become closely acquainted with grief, we are forced to ask...is there a point? I echo the great souls of Christian tradition when I confidently assert, yes! There is a point to our pain. We do not suffer at God's whim, nor do we suffer without hope of a ultimate redemption. Not least among the reasons we suffer is that suffering affords us a unique opportunity to display a confidence in the divine plan that God has for the world. To show that God's forgiveness and grace exists especially for those that choose to put themselves at odds with their fellow man, and in opposition to the God that created them.

Vengeance is the Lord's we are told, though that might be a concept seems repugnant in our search for justice. We have the might and therefore the responsibility to defend the helpless; it seems only reasonable that we would be vested with the responsibility of punishing those guilty of the inhuman acts of slaughtering the innocent and defenseless. After all...aren't we the hands of God in this world? At the very least we can condemn in the strongest language and in the most absolute terms the actions of those monsters, and even the monsters themselves; their path leads to hell, and the righteous wrath of God is their reward. And if we can send them there a little sooner, then so much the better for the rest of us.

I admit that these have been my thoughts from time to time as I have wrestled with the ramifications of the crimes perpetrated against civilians by terrorists. To see my justice fall on the heads of the animals that see children as targets. To see the terror they would use as a weapon destroy them.

And yet...even as wrath begins to fill my heart, the Spirit whispers, "This is not righteousness the Lord requires."

If God's forgiveness is extended to me, I must give as I have received. As He recognizes no limits in forgiving me, how can I put a limit on what I forgive? As one of my favorite questions from the best Christian movie of recent times puts it, "At what price mercy?" The legacy I have inherited tells me that I should show mercy and forgiveness, even if it costs me my life.

So what then? Do we collectively "turn the other cheek" and ignore the evil actions of butchers and villains? Is the wrath and righteous anger we feel in response to the crimes that were perpetrated in Mumbai impotent?

In a word, no.

This does not mean that the only option is pacifism. If God had not closed the door, I would presently be serving in our armed forces, and I gratefully support those men and women who sacrifice to protect and serve those of us who are not on the line with them. I do believe that there is an appropriate apparatus for bringing terrorists to justice, and for defending the helpless. It can be maddening that we must trust in something as clumsy as our government to champion us against such evil, but I also believe that the government exists to protect us from the inevitable harm that comes from the necessary task of dealing with those criminals. A reality of war is that even being in the "right" doesn't protect you from the harm that comes from taking life.

For those of us who are not responsible for holding that line, the task is less exciting, certainly frustrating, but necessary; we must pray for our enemies. Pray that their hearts would be broken by the Spirit of God, and pray that they would repent of their evil deeds before their final judgement is upon them. Pray that in the midst of this pain, we would hear the voice of God, speaking to us of the plan that was laid down with the foundations of the earth, to bring us to our Creator in a world that will finally be free from the weight of pain.