Finding God in the Terror

I don't think that I have anything new or unusual to say, but I still feel called to talk about the tragedy at the Boston Marathon.

Yesterday my friend shared a quote from Fred Rogers on Facebook and while I was reading that I was watching the news. The two were related in an interesting way, making me think that I was suppose to make the connection.

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" - Fred Rogers

What I heard and saw on TV was Matt Lauer interviewing witnesses to the explosions. The one thing each person said was that they saw the volunteers, medical staff, police and fire personnel run to help those who were in need. Each one said the image that would stay with them for the rest of their lives was that of those running to help.

There are always helpers! That is were we find God in a terrible situation, it is in the helpers. God is in the people who run to help others, risking their lives, providing healing and comfort to those in need. God is in the soldier who ran 26.2 miles in uniform (it must have been heavy and hot) then turned back to help in the chaos of a war-like situation. God is in the volunteers who continued to hand out blankets, bottles of water and medals to the runners as they crossed the finish line . God can be found in the runners who showed up at area hospitals to give blood after running 26.2 miles, which takes pretty much everything out of a person.

It is NOT God's will that someone plant explosives at a crowded venue and have loss of life, limb and health. But God is still there in the midst of the loss through those who put their own needs, their own lives aside to provide healing, comfort, prayer to those who need it. I cannot imagine the pain felt by so many people, the loss, terror and trauma that will continue to haunt many for the rest of their lives; there is no pat, easy answer. The only comfort I can find is that God is there, in flesh and blood, in all the people who respond and help.

Violence is NOT God's will, but He has a definite response. The response is LOVE. God has shown us this through Jesus. He was beaten, mocked, tortured and killed on a cross. He did not strike with the sword, but responded with forgiveness and love. Let us remember the love that has flowed from so many people in this situation and carry it forward in our own lives. That is how we will find the living Christ.

What Goes Down, Must Come Up

During my first half-marathon last April a volunteer told me it was downhill when I turned left. I said, "then its up the big hill right?" Her response was "of course!"

That's life, isn't it? We keep going up and down hills. As I do my long runs on Saturdays this is my view as I head home. It's hard to see in the picture, but I'm going downhill with another hill right after that. There are several hills to go up and down along this stretch. I've already climbed and descended several hills like these to get to this point, since I do a loop. They are different hills, but I'm still covering similar ground.

We all want the mountain-top experiences and don't want to come down the mountain but at the same time we say that "it's all downhill from here" when we have gotten through a tough situation. We want to be at the top and going downhill, but we don't want to be in the valley (as in "the valley of the shadow of death") or going uphill. After all, we say "I'm fighting an uphill battle" when things are really difficult.

Well, we can't have it both ways; we can't be on top of the mountain and going downhill all the time. We must climb that mountain to meet God and have those amazing mountain-top experiences. And eventually, we have to come off the mountain and spend some time in the valley. The great thing is that God comes to meet us in the valley.

We can't have those mountain-top experiences without the difficult journey up the mountain. On our way up, we may fall down but someone will be there to help us up, if we let them. That is what friends and family are there for to help us climb the mountains of our lives.

Once at the top we can stay and rest in the presence of God and others will rejoice with us. But eventually we have to go back down the mountain. The trip down is easier and we are still basking in our experience as we coast downhill. Then we must spend some time in the valley, which can feel far from God. The amazing thing is that God meets us there as others lift us up and show us the beauty of the landscape around us.

Then we start up the next mountain, perhaps its a little easier and we are the ones helping others get up after falling this time. It is a different mountain, yet we have learned from our past experience. We understand the terrain better and can even enjoy the journey because we know what's at the top. We might even climb faster in our desire to rest with God again. And just like each run, where I end up at home to be welcomed by those I love and eat and rest, we will eventually end up back at home welcomed by God to stay and rest.

"I have seen the Lord!"

This is Mary's astounding proclamation three days after Jesus' death. She goes to the tomb to prepare Jesus' body and finds an empty tomb. After running to tell the disciples, returning with them because they couldn't believe without seeing, the disciples leave but Mary stays behind, weeping. Two men appear in the tomb and ask her why she is weeping. All she can say is that they have taken her Lord. Next a man appears that she assumes is the gardener and he asks why she is weeping. She asks if he moved her Lord. Then an amazing thing happens, this man says her name. I imagine it was said so gently with such love that she couldn't help but recognize it as Jesus' voice. Now everything has changed! She runs to tell the disciples, "I have seen the Lord!"

I think in our own way we can all say "I have seen the Lord." There are times when someone is so close to God and doing His will that we can see Jesus clearly in them. It's as if the curtain that separates us from God is pulled back for a brief moment.

I saw Jesus this week in my daughter, Cassie. In the midst of my grumbling and worrying about my petty little problems, all very earthy, she was looking to serve God and others. On Thursday she helped Fr. Sean, our rector, wash feet at our Maundy Thursday service. The most humbling of acts, washing another person's feet, and she wanted to do it, chose to do it joyfully. It is an awesome, humbling experience to have your 12-year old daughter kneel before you and wash your feet, but not only yours but anyone who comes to her, young or old.

Cassie wasn't done, she wanted to take part of the Prayer Vigil. At our church people sign up for half-hour time slots to come and pray at church from 9 pm on Thursday through 9 am on Friday. The idea is that we are waiting with Jesus and the disciples through his trial, beating and sentencing. Cassie chose 3:30 am to participate originally and since there were still spots left on Thursday after the service she decided we should take another time as well, so we signed-up for 7:30 am too. We got up around 2:30 am to allow enough time to wake up and get ourselves to church on time (it is about a 30 minute drive). We prayed, read and reflected for 30 minutes and then went home. I went to bed for a couple of hours, but Cassie stayed awake. Then at 7 o'clock we headed back to church and stayed for one hour this time.

Later we returned for Stations of the Cross at noon. I love doing the stations, we have a lightweight wooden cross that we all take turns carrying as we move from station to station. It is a wonderful way to feel like I am part of the story, which of course I am. Cassie gladly carried the cross twice. Later in the evening we went to the Community Good Friday service where Cassie was a reader. She really enjoyed that and has decided that she should read more in church. (By the way, she only slept for about 5 minutes in the car after Stations of the Cross.)

Before you start thinking I'm a bragging parent (well, I am) or that she is perfect let me assure you that she is a typical 12-year old. She is caring, loving, giving and lives life to its fullest and she is messy, disorganized, impatient and she has been practicing her attitude so that she has it just perfect when she's a teenager. I can take credit for the messy, disorganized, impatient, attitude girl; God gets the credit for the good stuff.

It's so easy for her, she just does what is helpful, giving and good (most of the time). She doesn't think what the cost is, how awkward it is to wash other people's feet, she just does it. Cassie enjoys giving, loving and sharing. I think she is on to something; maybe we need to just do and trust and there we will find joy. The unintentional consequence may be that someone will say "I have seen the Lord."