Sacred Opportunity

What a week of mixed emotions!!  Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight all discovered alive after 10 years!  I was moved by the unfettered joy of Gina’s father and yet saddened as I heard one newscaster say, “Finally, it is all over.”  Sadly, no, it has only just begun for these families as they sort through all kinds of pain and anger and grief, etc.…  

This has been a reflective week if we are paying attention.  This is something to celebrate - akin to the overflowing joy of the father of the prodigal son who exclaimed, “My son was dead, but now he lives!!”  But it is also a time of prayerful contemplation - not every parent receives this good news.  

The questions of “Why some but not others?”:  “Where does this kind of evil come from?”  “What is God’s solution, the church’s role?” bring a sacred opportunity for the church to think hard on its mission and role in bringing hope to the overwhelming hurts in this very, very broken world.