Tonight's blog for April 15, 2013

At first, I had in my mind to mention that this is tax day. Then there was a double bomb event in Boston that

seemed to want to bully itself into my consciousness. There are a few aspects of the bombing that are trying to force their way into my thoughts. One is that there evidently were two bombs that didn't go off. There are folks who died, but that total could have been far greater. Tell that to the ones who did die, and to the dozens who were injured, and to the millions who go to bed tonight with a sigh of sadness over the violence of people.

On a personal basis, I am realizing that my reaction is one aspect of this event that I can do something about. I am angry at the violence of the world that we live in. I am angry at those on all sides of the political spectrum who have decided that their opinions are the only ones that matter. I am angry that tonight I want to write about this, rather than to focus for a few moments on some praises.

So… I am not going to let my anger win. Isn't that a part of this that we can control? I praise GOD for His ability to protect and to bless us in spite of the violence of others. It might be instructive for us to remember that GOD isn't the cause of violence, HE is love. The first human blood shed in the Bible was from Abel, killed by a sneak attack from his own brother, cain, chiefly because of religious reasons. Later in Genesis, GOD was sorry about the violence of the humans He had created, loved and allowed to live. The flood was God saying, "I am fed up with the violence and the evil that is permeating the minds and hands of people." Guess what? You don't have to be a prophet to know that HE isn't any happier about this violence, and evil mindedness today than HE was then.

Today, the Homeschool kids, our Co-op at MCC, heard about the burden of a backpack for a student that is too heavy, too fully loaded for any eventuality. Not just with books, iPads, and other resources. Now our backpacks

are loaded down with other burdens. We have created a whole generation of kids who are filled with fear, with anger, with isolation and doubt. My goal tonight was to "lighten up" a bit, to remind you that for every person who would wound an innocent child, there are hundreds, thousands or more who would rather be wounded than to wound anyone else… right? Especially a child! What a time to be alive. Tonight, will you pray for those who are forgetting that GOD is love and GOD is light, and one or two or dozens of bombs will never, never take from us the joy of our salvation. Do you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed by anger? Is the weight unbearable? Imagine for a moment that you are Jesus, and that you left the world after accomplishing your task. Death on the cross, burial, resurrection… all historical and theological facts for us as believers. All the violence that could be thrown at HIM was! And yet, we are reminded, that " … God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 

Dear ones, don't let current events or current evils steal your peace of mind tonight! Jesus loves you, and HE is the only one who can make any sense of any of this. GOD Bless us tonight… big marv