Holy Greetings OCC Family,
As many of you may have heard, this week the United States bombed Iran, and 168 girls were killed. 168 students were murdered in Iran – let that sink in. 168 girls who woke up that morning, gathered their books, and headed to school. They never came home. The news reports call them casualties of war. Statistics. Some saw them as digits on a screen, and while the mean people of the world count numbers, God counts children. Each girl had a name. Each one was known. Each one mattered to her family and to our God who created her.
Many of us wonder, where is God when 168 girls are murdered? Does God see? Does God care? Does God care when the response from our president about this bombing is, “I Guess Americans Should Worry About Iran Retaliating on U.S. Soil: Like I said, some people will die.” In moments like these, the value of human life can sound painfully small in the language of politics.
That said, as we hear this kind of response, how do we hold such casual disregard alongside our faith? What do we do with our sadness about this and even our helplessness? It is okay to wonder, and it is very human to ask these questions. God can handle our questions.
Scripture is full of people who brought their questions to God. The Psalms cry out, “How long, O Lord?” (Psalm 13:1). Habakkuk looked at violence and asked why God seemed silent. Faith has always made room for true heartfelt lament. Lament keeps our hearts alive. Lament refuses to let suffering become normal.
So, what do we do when the world breaks our hearts? We turn to promises in Scripture that anchor us. Revelation 21:4 tells us that one day God will wipe every tear from our eyes. Death will be no more. Mourning and crying and pain will be no more. This is the future God promises. God will make all things new. Every wrong will be made right. Every tear will be wiped away. Every child who died too soon will be remembered, known, loved forever. Hope in God’s coming renewal gives the grieving heart something to lean on when the present feels unbearable.
In the days ahead, as we must continue living, I encourage you to do what people of faith have always done. Pray. Surrender your heartache to God. Grieve with those who grieve, and ask God to guide our world toward peace while keeping our hearts tender to the suffering of others.
Together, let’s refuse to grow numb. Let’s stay awake to injustice. In our grief, God grieves with us. In our hope, God holds us, and because of our faith we dare not give up.
In this with you,
Rev. Tam
