We have all seen the stories this week:
- A thirteen-year-old driving a pickup truck in Texas crashed into a van carrying the members of the University of Southwest’s golf team killing nine people.
- A movie theater turned make-shift bomb shelter in the Ukraine as bombed trapping nearly 1,300 people—including many women and children--in its rubble creating a fear of a massive death count of innocents trapped in the Russian war against their country.
- In Texas massive wildfires swept across the state prompting evacuations from their homes and communities as flames burned down homes, businesses, and created mass destruction impacting the lives of thousands.
And these are not the only stories that have happened this past week touching the lives of seemingly innocent people. We could probably add many more. It just doesn’t seem right that these individuals have been caught up in these traumatic experiences and we wonder, “Why?”
Ours is not the first generation to be touched by “bad news”. Bad things have been happening to good people since the beginning of time. Our scripture reading this morning speaks to this experience. Jesus is given the news that a group of Galileans are massacred by the soldiers of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate and their blood is mixed in the sacrifices that are offered. Jesus responds with his own tidbit of news as he shares the news of eighteen innocent people are crushed to death when a tower collapses unexpectedly. In his response he confronts the unspoken questions of those gathered . . . why? Why these people? Were they worse sinners than others? Why do bad things happen to good people?
What do you think?
To coin the phrase aptly attributed to Alcoholics Anonymous, “Poop happens.” Unfortunately for all of those people in the news that is shared, today or in the time of Jesus, these folks were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It had nothing to do with whether they were more sinful than others. But it is hard to shake the falsehood that whatever happens to us is deserved based on how good or bad we are . . . sinners get punished, saints get blessed. Apparently, that is wrong theology as Jesus points out this morning. “Poop happens” and it happens to whoever happens to be there when it breaks loose. All this really does is to point out that life is fragile. It could be over like that! (Snap of the fingers.)
And what does this message of life’s fragility mean?
Well, it means that life needs to be lived with a sense of urgency. It means that we should not take life and its experience—the experience of living it—for granted. Life should be lived to its fullest. Remember . . . we can’t re-live yesterday—it is gone, tomorrow might not come, and so all we have is today. We need to make the most of today . . . to take care of business now before it is too late. Thus, it is that Jesus speaks of repentance . . . don’t wait until it is too late.
Matthew Skinner, Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary says this:
“It bears repeating that Jesus does not explain the causes of violence that nature and human beings regularly inflict upon unsuspecting people. He does not blame victims. He does not attempt to defend creation or the Creator when “why?” questions seem warranted. At least in this scene, he offers no theological speculation and inflicts no emotional abuse. He asks, with an urgency fueled by raw memories of blood and rubble on the ground: What about you? How will you live the life you get to live?”
How will you live the life you get . . . right now?
Catastrophes happen. They create all sorts of questions in our minds and hearts. They deserve discussion as mourning and lament fill us. At the same time, they can shake us out of the complacency of our daily lives. They speak to us the fragility of life. Speak to the urgency of life . . . and to live that life to the will of God.
Our journeys have been filled with such stories of tragedy and catastrophe. So much so that we have to wonder if we have become insolated to such news . . . that we have built walls around ourselves to distance ourselves from such experiences to protect ourselves. Do we look to the heavens and pray, “Oh well, thank God it wasn’t us”, and go on with business as usual? Or does it put a flame to our seats urging us to make the best of what God has given us in the moment?
The Spirit of God moves through all of life . . . the good and the bad. It draws our attention to the world around us. Makes us aware of the joys and sufferings of life . . . prompts us to consider the urgency of life. Raps upon our hearts urging us to consider . . . to consider the question posed by Jesus. How are we going to live the lives we have been given? Especially in this moment . . . right now.
Such is our traverse through this season of Lent.
I cannot speak for anyone else, but I can admit that I certainly take the gift of life for granted. I can admit that I am guilty of not making the most of life . . . guilty of putting off to tomorrow what can and should be done today. I have not loved completely . . . show grace fully . . . or worked to make this a better world . . . of establishing God’s kingdom. And I am smart enough to realize that I am not the only one. We are all in this boat together. The world is encroaching more and more into our lives daily. It is getting more and more difficult to ignore. If there is anything to learn from our reading today it is to understand that life is fragile and there is no promise of tomorrow for any of us . . . good or bad.
Because of this we must embrace the grace and patience of God to do the best we can in the moments we have. God believes in us and that we can make a difference. As Jesus implies, “What are we waiting for?” The choice is ours to make. The moment is always right now. Amen.
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