Special Issue- SLU Responds to the Virginia Tech Tragedy
 

Welcome to this special edition of The Edge. In this issue:

                                                                    with Brent Crowe

• Why would God let this happen?

Billy Graham said following 9/11 that he didn’t know how God could allow such a tragedy, but he did know that God loved us. Philosopher Peter Kreeft argues how tragedy can take place by stating, “Once God chose to create human beings with free will, it was up to them...as to whether there was sin or not.” Kreeft believes that we cannot comprehend in our human limitations why God would allow this to happen, but that we must take comfort in the fact that one day God will settle all accounts and the evil-doers will be punished for the suffering they have caused while the righteous will be rewarded. (See Death Where is Thy Sting?) Therefore, while it is impossible to exhaustively answer the question of why, we must also understand that the only option other than God creating man with free will would have been for him to create robots. In other words, since God has given us the gift of choice, we are capable of the most horrific evils that could be imagined. The following are four of the many verses that could be studied to provide an insight into the sinfulness of man.

-The psalmist David said it this way, “I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5)
-“I know that nothing good lives in me, that is my sinful nature...” (Romans 7:18)
-“Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind to do what ought not be done.” (Romans 1:28)
-“There is none righteous, not even one...” (Romans 3:10)
 

• Where was God on April 16, 2007?

Before attempting to answer this question, let it be known that those who died and went to heaven would not come back even if they could. One of my pet peeves is when Christians give quick ‘bumper sticker’ answers or slogans in response to difficult situations. Though this may sound like preacher talk, please know it is not intended that way. God the Father was in the same place on April 16th that he was a couple thousand years ago when his own son died, and as Charles Spurgeon said following his beloved wife’s death, “When I can’t trace God’s hand, I can trust God's heart.”

HELP for Today / HOPE for Tomorrow

Let us now turn to the word of God as a source of clarity and comfort. Possibly one of the most relevant texts is Psalm 46 when David pens these words,

“God is our refuge and strength
A very present help in trouble,
Therefore we will not fear...
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
The Lord of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.”

In verse one we learn the timeless reality that God is an ever source of help during times of trouble and tragedy. It is here that one can see that he provides help for today:

-Because of God's protection. The word refuge is used both to open and close this Psalm and means that he provides protection from danger. The follower of Christ is able to stay grounded in the most trying times because he or she realizes there is only one source of protection and that source is in God and the cross eternal.

-Because of God's power. Have you ever seen someone following tragedy stand with grace and strength and in the midst of tears and a whirlwind of emotion, make a big deal about Jesus and talk about how he comforts them and how he upholds them during this time? It should be a great comfort that even in the midst of unforeseen disaster one can experience the ability to be intentionally calm because “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:7)

- Because of God's presence. God does not have an evacuation plan for he does not leave his people. While it is very difficult to understand this in the initial stages following a catastrophe, such as what took place at Virginia Tech, death does not have the final word. Because of the cross and the empty tomb, the final word over death, hell, and the grave is with Jesus Christ, and as the writer of Revelation put it, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Our text also suggests to us that the future is not bleak. We know that there is hope for all of our tomorrows because of:

-Who God is. Verse 10 tells us that tomorrow we can know that he still is God, that he is unchanging, is both a source of great comfort, and a motivation to capture the moments of life in the days ahead.

-What God has done. John 16:33 should cause every follower of God to see the big picture on culture and obstacles therein because Jesus has said, “These things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.”

-Where I am going. Heaven is both a future destination and a present reality. The follower of God both knows that this is not his home but that he can experience a little bit of his eternal home while living in his temporal house. This is how Job could say when all of his earthly possessions had been taken from him, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” We see in this text that because he is unchanging, our response to him should be one of daily worship. Or to put it another way, on the days that the world makes sense I will praise him, and on the days when everything feels like it is crumbling like a house of cards, I will praise him. The response is always the same because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and all of our tomorrows. Because of this great reality we can have hope.

In conclusion, I want us to note five things that tragedy need not be. These five things will refocus our thoughts on higher and bigger causes than ourselves:

Five Things Tragedy Need Not Be

1. Tragedy need not destroy one’s faith; neither should it keep you from dreaming, praying, worshiping, encouraging others, and having a plan of action that will impact the kingdom.

2. Tragedy need not make you lose hope.

3. Tragedy need not make you lose faith in God or cause you to question His love for you.

4. Tragedy need not be given the energy that you could be using to help others who are worse off than you are.

5. Tragedy need not become your disabler.
~Author Unknown



 

FREE IPOD NANO and FREE ITUNES GIFT CERTIFICATES! Tell us your SLU Story!

For the next few months, YOU are the focus of SLU! We want to hear from you, especially about the specifics of how God has changed your life through SLU. Tell us YOUR STORY. We want to know how SLU has impacted your life, your family, your church, and your community. We'll be giving away a FREE IPOD NANO and a couple iTunes Gift Certificates to the writers of our best essays! The contest deadline is June 31, 2007. Send in your essays today!.
 

Are you on Facebook and want to connect with other SLU students?  There are three groups that have been formed by SLU alumni:  SLU, Student Leadership University, and SLUnians Unite and we thought you might want to check them out.  This is a great way to continue to connect with student leaders all around the country.  Also, if you know of any other groups we should know about, e-mail us!

VT Professor Sacrifices Life

Where did he die? In the heart of the academy, in the classroom," said Yakov Aboudi, a Tel Aviv University emeritus professor and a friend of Librescu's who had helped hire him. "Was there a better place for him? It's where he wanted to be"...

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The Blame Game

In the aftermath of disaster, a phenomenon called the "blame game" often soon rears its head. The impulse to assign moral responsibility is normal -- even healthy -- but the game often plays itself out in irrational ways...

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Who among us is not grieving with the families of those who died at Virginia Tech this week? We mourn with them and pray for the families of the victims and for the victims who survived...

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