A good friend of mine shared this post that she read earlier today, stating that it's one of the best posts she's seen since the shootings on Friday. I would have to agree. Take the time to read...

"In this life, in the muck and mire, in the sweat and tears, we too don’t always know who is winning. It seems very likely that the Evil One prevailed on Friday. If the grief and pain in our hearts is to be believed, he certainly did. But he did not. 

Instead the grief and pain must remind us that we grieve precisely because things are not as they should be; and the fact that things are not as they should be promises that one day they will be. The fact that the Evil One acts in such deranged, malicious ways proves that he is helpless; his very struggles testify to a prevailing and conquering God. Because in battle,only the winning side has the capacity to be generous, to spare the lives of its enemies; the losing side cannot risk it."

Lament

As Christians, i think we often forget that we're allowed to lament. We think somehow that by crying out to God in the midst of our great sorrow and pain, we are questioning his power,  might, or goodness, but lament is not blame. Numerous godly men and women lamented in the Bible. It's okay! God hears our cries. These cries draw us deeper into His grace, and love, and comfort. We can lament in times of tragedy.

This morning, as I was thinking about lament, I remembered this song by Jars of Clay. I always took this to be the singers' cries of grief, but I read something earlier in which somebody stated that they always believed this was supposed to be "God's lament" in a way. Either way, it's a powerful song. (Below are the lyrics)

"Oh My God"

Oh my God, look around this place
Your fingers reach around the bone
You set the break and set the tone
Flights of grace, and future falls
In present pain
All fools say, "Oh my God"

Oh my God, Why are we so afraid?
We make it worse when we don't bleed
There is no cure for our disease
Turn a phrase, and rise again
Or fake your death and only tell your closest friend
Oh my God.

Oh my God, can I complain?
You take away my firm belief and graft my soul upon your grief
Weddings, boats and alibis
All drift away, and a mother cries

Liars and fools; sons and failures
Thieves will always say
Lost and found; ailing wanderers
Healers always say
Whores and angels; men with problems
Leavers always say
Broken hearted; separated
Orphans always say
War creators; racial haters
Preachers always say
Distant fathers; fallen warriors
Givers always say
Pilgrim saints; lonely widows
Users always say
Fearful mothers; watchful doubters
Saviors always say

Sometimes I cannot forgive
And these days, mercy cuts so deep
If the world was how it should be, maybe I could get some sleep
While I lay, I dream we're better,
Scales were gone and faces light
When we wake, we hate our brother
We still move to hurt each other
Sometimes I can close my eyes,
And all the fear that keeps me silent falls below my heavy breathing,
What makes me so badly bent?
We all have a chance to murder
We all feel the need for wonder
We still want to be reminded that the pain is worth the thunder

Sometimes when I lose my grip, I wonder what to make of heaven
All the times I thought to reach up
All the times I had to give
Babies underneath their beds
Hospitals that cannot treat all the wounds that money causes,
All the comforts of cathedrals
All the cries of thirsty children - this is our inheritance
All the rage of watching mothers - this is our greatest offense

Oh my God
Oh my God
Oh my God

Praying

Today is one of those tragic days. (And a day that reminds--at least reminds me--that every day around the world some people go through tragedies like this, while others of us are just going about our normal days)*. Today is one of those days that reminds me that this world is so, so fallen and that it needs Jesus. It needs a Redeemer and a Restorer.

Only Jesus can bring peace and lavish grace. And I pray for the family and friends that have lost children, siblings, aunts, uncles, mothers, fathers, friends today in the Connecticut school shooting. I pray that God will rain down his overwhelming grace and peace on these people. I pray that somehow, some way, God will shine down his glory during this terrible time. Because in times like this, it seems like the world's about to fall to bits. It seems like there is nothing good any longer. And in times like this, I know that the only way that people can get through a is by the grace and peace of God. 

*This is in no way to take away from what has happened, but it does remind me that stuff that is shocking like this happens all over the world, every day, and we don't ever hear about it. And it should make us just as terrified and sad.