In Light of Tragedy I was greatly saddened this morning when I went to check my email and the news of what happened in Virginia was what flashed across my screen. I won't try to describe what I think people might be going through right now. I have no idea, except that it must be horrible. Having gone to Hiroshima and visited the peace memorial there, tragedy is something that I've been reflecting on recently, and talking/praying about with my friend Tammy. I was telling her about this CD by Steve Green that I feel reflects the light of God amidst horrid tragedies, and just happened to pull it out this past weekend. Rather than try to paraphrase, here are a few lyrics that I feel speak hope in a way that captures pain and sorrow, while still acknowledging God's love and grace--maybe somewhat similar to the book of Job. He questioned God over and over and God's only answer to Job was to meet him where he was. I don't claim to understand it. I don't try to force it on anyone who may be questioning, grieving, hurting, I just pray that the God of hope might us in our darkest hour. Just meet us. Sorrow Mixed with Light How beautiful and frail Are all the days we share How fragile is this breath of life Like mist on the field Will vanish in the wind All we’ve come to know Fades before our eyes And what tomorrow brings Who of us can say Beyond this sorrow mixed with light For somewhere in between The beauty and the tears This is where we live our lives My eyes look to You, You’re the hope of my days My eyes look to You as I cry out Your name And I wait for all things to be remade Not every earthly tear That falls is wiped away For some are like refining fire That turn my heart to You, my one desire In Brokenness You Shine When life becomes a shattered dream That’s slipping through my trembling hands I need to know that You are near To know You see each falling tear When there is no one else who understands When I can’t find the words to speak You hear the pain in each heart beat Before I even call to You In my deepest hour of need That’s when You come and pour Your mercy on me Your beauty shines Your love surrounds Where cries of brokenness are found bring hope alive Help me believe And trust You one more time In brokenness You shine In brokenness You shine Let comfort be a living thing A river flowing from my grief Where thirsty souls can drink their fill And find You their heart’s release And through my sorrow show Your freedom and hope How could I know when others said A word or two then walked away That You, the Man of Sorrows Would come near to stay You’ll always stay I want to see Your beauty one more time In brokenness you shine In brokenness you shine When the Morning Comes Here, in this fallen world there’s pain Tears and sorrow come to all the same Wounds of every kind Difficult the times and bitter the taste And yet in my barren hour Send down heaven’s shower The mystery of joy When the morning comes I will see you smile When the morning comes Though my tears may last a while You raise me up To wait for the hope of the dawn When the morning comes In my distress You call to me To come and hold Your hand when I can’t see That even in my loss The comfort of Your cross brings hope to me And the darkness of the night Magnifies the light The mystery of joy When the winds of trouble blow I run to hide in You So thank You for the storms that keep faith alive I will see you smile When the morning comes though my tears may last a while You raise me up To wait for the hope of the dawn And bathe in the warmth of the sun When the morning comes Wonder—Day #111: The mystery of joy