a terrible day

Thanks to Beauty and Depravity for pointing the details of this story out. Since much beyond the crash itself wasn't covered up here, I wouldn't have heard about Yoon's tragedy without his post. 

What do we do when terrible things happen? 

Dong Yun Yoon, a 37 year old father of two was working at a cafe that he ran with his brother-in-law when a US fighter jet crashed into his home in San Diego. At the time his wife, a nurse, was at home taking care of their newborn daughter with the help of her mother. The women, the newborn daughter, and Yoon's first child were all killed in the crash. 

Sometimes I tell myself I shouldn't watch the news. It's hard to absorb all that goes on in our world, whether it's tragedies like Yoon's, brutal crimes perpetrated next door or on the other side of the globe, or the truth about how broken our politicians and celebrities are. But the fact is it's out there, and we don't have any choice but to choose how we deal with it. 

I've heard more than once people wishing for the good old days, the era when things just weren't as bad as they are now. Yet there's really no such thing. Case in point: two-thousand years ago, one of the most joyous events in human history, the entrance of God into the world as a human infant, was immediately followed by one of the most tragic, Herod's brutal execution of all of the male babies and toddlers in Bethlehem. The level of tragedy and terribleness hasn't changed over the course of time, we've just gotten better at reporting it.

So what do we do? More specifically, what, if anything, does following Christ have to do with news like this? 

How can we believe in a God that allows things like this to happen? 

This Sunday at United Life, we're going to take a look at these questions together and explore them for ourselves. I'd also like to invite those of you who read this to bring anybody you know who has asked these questions, whether they believe in God or not. Before then, however, let me close by saying one more thing. 

I need to say that a follower of Christ does not stop caring, even in the face of tragedy after tragedy. This is a huge challenge. Our lives today are built around detachment. We go through it like marbles tossed into in a bathtub, our lives (the good and bad parts) bouncing off of each other with barely a microscopic impact. It's hard to go through a day in this world trying to care. 

But if someone chooses to follow Christ, they will find their path leads into the place of vulnerability and weakness. Our hard exteriors are replaced with open hearts. Our closed eyes are open, and our deaf ears begin to hear the cries of those in need. 

***

ps...my apologies for getting this post out late. I was at a staff retreat at the beginning of the week. You can still expect to see new updates every Tuesday.