Have you noticed how easy it is to grow numb over shootings and mayhem and death? What’s going on right now defies rational thought. You open your newspaper and find articles about two mass shootings inside of 24 hours where two people have killed 29 and injured over 50 (we have a tendency to ignore the injured — at least they didn’t die — without realizing that for many, their lives, plans and dreams have been forever altered) and what do we do with this information? We file it in a growing file under “Incomprehensible” and go on to read about business or sports.
We are all pretty helpless against one isolated angry young man with an assault rifle and loads of ammo. Doesn’t it seem like the world is coming apart at the seams and no one can do anything about it? If you don’t have faith in a God who can make sense out of chaos, you have very little to hold onto. One thing’s for sure: the perpetrators of these horrendous acts are walled into their own isolation booths. No one with normal healthy relationships could do this. That means that at least we can be on the lookout for people like this on the edges of our circles of influence and attempt to reach out to them. Who knows what we might prevent? I always think of that person who jumped off the Golden Gate bridge and lived to tell about it, who said he told himself that if anyone — even a stranger — smiled at him that morning on his way to the bridge, he wouldn’t jump. Obviously, no one did. Look at what a simple smile could have done.
Love is the only thing that will conquer hate. Hope overcomes despair and compassion can bring someone out of loneliness and isolation. We can’t put a stop to these senseless acts, but we can persist in manifesting kindness, hope and compassion to all in spite of the chaos. And we can refuse to give up on the knowledge and firm belief that despite what we cannot comprehend, God is still in control.
John Fischer The Catch 
“The children play out in the park
Laughing in the face of danger
Lurking in the dark
The nightly news is all the same
The tragedies remind me
Life is not a children’s game
The fiery crash, the siren’s scream
Sad photographs of bitter scenes
The living ask, “how can it be?”
These days are life and death
And we are balanced in between
I can believe (In a hazardous world)
I’m down on my knees (In a hazardous world)
With every breath that I breathe (In a hazardous world)
I can believe
There’s no guarantees (In a hazardous world)
Makes no difference to me (In a hazardous world)
God sent His own Son to bleed (In a hazardous world)
I can believe”
“A Hazardous World” by Billy Sprague
To add an Amen!
I like this. I’m a little thrown by the “Makes no difference to me” line. Not sure I get that. Sounds like he’s removing himself from the pain. Maybe I’m not getting it.
Maybe it means that the fact that there are no guarantees in this life doesn’t matter to him – because he can believe in the love God showed through Jesus? Just a thought.
I’ve always interpreted in the same was as Sandie – “There are no guarantees, but that makes no difference to me.. I can believe (in the love and sovreignity of God) even though I live in a hazardous world.
And maybe I interpret it in the same way as Sandie because I have the benefit of knowing the back-story: Billy Sprague is no stranger to pain. He wrote “In A Hazardous World” for his album “Torn Between Two Worlds” which was written just after his fiancee passed away.
https://www.amazon.com/Letter-Grieving-Heart-Comfort-Those/dp/0736907327
A brief story like to share about how it may apply with moving Grace forward:
Hate the bad things that happened this weekend, yet really excited to share this regarding a cool neighbor that complimented me a few times. Saying I have a great disposition, nice & friendly, plus he once was suppose to go into the Hospital for an operation, which it winds up he didn’t need it, but told me he was touched that I was praying for him!
Also, back around then he was hit by a car on his pedal bike while going to grocery shopping. He didn’t get hurt, just bruised & shaken up a bit. Since then he’s told me when he gets the Insurance settlement, he’d like to give me some money! B/C when I see him I ask how he is doing…
Earlier on Sunday showed up @ my door with a pretty good size check. I couldn’t believe it and refused it a few times, he wouldn’t take it back!
I am FIRED-UP to pay off my high interest Credit Card! Praise God for nice & Godly neighbors!
PS Oh I know his is a Christian b/c we have talked about it before…
This is a great story, Mark, and shows the good that can happen, too. Keep the money. It’s important to him to give it to you. If you refuse it he might consider that an insult.