When a Symbol is Changed: Tragedy on Boston

I was saddened today when I heard the news that two bombs had exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon at a point in the race when this area was the most crowded.  I was even more saddened later when I heard that three people had passed away and nearly 80 had been treated for injuries.  When I heard the news I immediately thought of the World Trade Center bombing in New York in the 1993, the federal building bombing in Oklahoma City in 1995, and the bombing in Centennial Park in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics.  I also thought of the scenes in Aurora and Newtown from the past year.  The images that flashed across the screen seemed more like a scene from Batman than actual reality.  It seems that as soon as the news stops their daily conversation about the last major tragedy another one happens.

I mourn at the loss of life.  I feel empathy for those who were affected.  My heart breaks for those who were harmed, mentally or physically, and my mind wonder why an event like this happens.  I wonder how a person could be so evil as to plan and carry out an event like this.  I wonder what kind of hate has to permeate a person's heart in order for them to carry out mass murder.  My mind was filled with questions, many of which I will never know the answer to.  I can't explain what leads a person to do something like this, but I know what could have saved them.  I don't know what to say to those who mourn, but I know they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4). 

The sight of the explosion struck me in a particular way.  Whoever carried out this bombing chose a scene of jubilation and celebration as the scene for fear and terror.  A finish line is a symbol of accomplishment and joy, and today it was turned into one of confusion and panic.  It was clear to me that the person (or persons) who did this did so to take a positive symbol and turn it into a negative one.  As I contemplated this I couldn't help but think of the crucifixion of Jesus.  In the first century the cross was a symbol of pain and suffering.  Those who passed by Golgotha and saw men being crucified would have had feelings of disdain and disgust.  Jesus, however, didn't let the symbolism of the cross define him.  Through his resurrection, he defined what the cross meant.  After his resurrection people no longer looked at crosses with fear and no longer thought of death.  Now they look at the cross and have joy, being reassured of their salvation.

Just as Jesus took the cross, this negative symbol, and turned it into a symbol of salvation, I know that he can do the same with this event today.  Right now the scene is one of fear, death, and injury, but in time it will be redeemed and will again become a scene of victory and triumph.

There will be a lot of discussion in the next few days about why tragedies like these happen.  People will blame violent movies, the eroding of our educational system, the breakdown of the family, angry music, gay marriage, a lack of prayer in school, and on and on and on.  All of these explanations will miss the point, as the true cause of the problem will never be discussed.  These possible causes are merely symptoms of the real sickness: sin.  It is the sin within us that leads people to carry out such violent actions.  It is important to remember that we all sin and are in need of a savior.  It is because of this imperfection that God sent his perfect son to become perfection for us.  It is only Him who can save a hardened heart.

I know that good will come from this tragedy.  I know that God will work in and through this horrible experience.  I also know that we as Christians have the message that can bring comfort to those who hurt, clarity to those who question, and salvation for those that need saving.  May we never miss an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with those who need it.

The Christian Life is like an Italian Dinner

Tonight at church the youth group hosted our annual Valentine's Dinner.  This is the third year that we've decorated the fellowship hall and served a delicious meal to those who purchased tickets for a fun and romantic evening to raise funds for the youth group.  The students always help set up, cook the food, serve the guests, and clean up after.

This year we decided to serve homemade lasagna for dinner.  I had never made lasagna from scratch before, so I made a trial batch a few weeks ahead of time, and then tinkered with the recipe a bit until I got it right.  That's one of the things I love most about cooking.  Every time you make something, no matter how many times you've made it before, you can always do something a little different and make it better (or sometimes worse).  I never believe that a recipe is perfect.  Now that doesn't mean that I never think a dish I make is delicious or successful.  In fact, I do a lot of cooking and I think that most of the things I make are pretty good, and some are certainly delicious.  But I never think I'm done with a recipe.  I always wonder what it would be like if I did something different.  A little less of this or a dash more of that.

I think that's how it is with life sometimes too.  Even when something goes well or I think I have something figured out, there's always more to learn.  I can't tell you how many times I've gone through some sort of life experience and thought I learned the lesson God was teaching me through that, only to look back years later and realize that there were other lessons from that which I hadn't figured out yet.  I know there are also times where I think I've learned my lesson, only to repeat the same mistakes later on, or make new ones.  The same is true when I read scripture.  There are times when I read and I have a great epiphany, or hear an inspiring sermon and glean a new insight.  Every time something like this happens I think I have the meaning of that passage figured out.  Inevitably though, some times later, I'll reread that passage or hear it preached on by someone else, and discover something new about it that I had never realized before.

The scriptures are so deep and nuanced that no matter how many times I read a passage, it is fresh and new every time.  That's because the scriptures aren't some basic dish served out of a box, they are layered.  Just like a plate of lasagna.  With each bit of a good lasagna you discover a new flavor or texture from the layered dish.  And each batch of lasagna you make will be slightly different from the ones you've had before.  That's how it is with God's Word.  Every reading is slightly different.  Each one brings some new insight to light.

I think that people are similar to this as well.  It's often been said that people are like onions, and you have to get to know them by peeling back one layer at a time.  While I like this metaphor, I think that comparing people to lasagna is better (and not just because lasagna is delicious!).  I think people are more like lasagna because each layer is different.  Some have more cheese, others have more sauce, and more have thicker noodles.  And each time you spend time with someone and talk to them you learn something new about them.  And just like with a lasagna recipe that's never quite finished, we can never know another person completely.  With an onion every layer is still just onion, and there is the perception that you can eventually get to the core where you would know everything there is to know about someone.

The great thing about lasagna, like a person, is that the recipe is never finished, and God isn't finished with us until we're united and perfected with Him in heaven.  God never stops working on us.  He never stops making us better.  He never quits perfecting us.  Just as we have to be open to try variations in our recipes in order to make a dish better, we need to be open to God's work in and through us in order for Him to make us better.

It is my prayer that I remain open to God's intervention in my life.  I pray that I recognize God's movement in my life and invite Him to daily make me better than I as yesterday.  If He's not working on me and making me better than I might end up at the back of the shelf getting stale.  Father, work in me daily, and help me to see your work in others.  Allow me to realize that other people are layered as well, and that I can learn something new and exciting about other people though every interaction I have.  Amen.