On Friday Janet and I will be headed to Newtown, the town drenched with sorrow that the whole world is watching. Walnut Hill Community Church, a thriving congregation with 3500 members, has arranged two community-wide meetings, Friday and Saturday, Dec. 28-29, on the theme, “Where Is God When It Hurts?” and then two church services on Sunday. (Click on the “Events” tab for more details.) I’ve known the pastor, Clive Calver, for years. Before taking this church he headed an organization called World Relief; his experience directing a global disaster response team with 20,000 employees, he told me, barely prepares him for the local disaster he now faces in his own community. After all, he lives in Newtown and knows many of those affected by name.
I’ve had some tough assignments (Virginia Tech, Mumbai, Sarajevo), but this one is horribly unique. I would truly appreciate your prayers this week as I prepare and then New Year’s weekend as we travel to Connecticut. With her background as a hospice chaplain, Janet is a master at the conversations that will inevitably take place, and she’ll do very important work alongside.
Healing and comfort–that’s what I want most for these dear people. Words can only do so much, and certainly cannot take away the pain, yet I hope that this event could be a time of safety and honesty when people can bring their grief and come away with a new appreciation for why the gospel is good news–even now, especially now.
(This is a generous country at such times: United Airlines is comping both our tickets and two of my publishers are donating some 2000 copies of my books on questions no doubt being asked: Where Is God When It Hurts? and What Good Is God? They’re also offering free downloads to the community that weekend.)
You and Janet are in our prayers.
We will pray for yourtime in Conn. Phil and the leading of His Sprit! May you experience His leading…
I remember in the aftermath of the Nickel Mine’s tragedy here in Lancaster, Michael W. Smith took part in a community service and was tremendous. My guess is, he’d come in a heartbeat if you wanted someone of his ability and heart…..his ministry here with us at that time was SIGNIFICANT!
Prayers for you and Janet. I pray you will bring words and actions and love that that community needs right now. And, as you said, that you can offer God’s healing and comfort, however that looks. Amen.
I will be with you in my prayers, from here in Italy, trying to be as close to you and the families in Newport, whose pain and desperation I cannot think of without crying.
May the peace of God descend on you, may He who chose suffering and death and smallness and poverty for his earthly life inspire you in your ministry of sharing and support and give you the strength (and the words) to try and a find a hint of meaning, no matter how far beyond and yet close enough touch those living and awfully broken hearts. Maybe, there is no meaning at all, and then may he give us all the strength to wait until when all mirrors will vanish… I’m crying again…may I’d need someone with a popcorn to eat my tears…may God give you all the popcorn you need in these days.
From Italy, with love
Licia (mum of Luca 13, your sister in God)
Savona, 23 dec. 2012
Two weeks before the shooting God started prompting my heart that something as horrible as this might happen. You don’t know me from a hill of beans, but we are definitely praying! I was praying and weeping with my friend from Evergreen (she went to HS there) 5 days before the shooting. May God’s peace somehow help through this timeframe…my anger at God for not stopping it sometimes floods me. Sincerely, Cally