#sanbernardino

Hey y’all,

I’m taking a break from posting new episodes of my story today, in light of the recent tragedy in San Bernardino.

I used to live in Loma Linda, which borders San Bernardino. The shootings took place just a few miles from my parents’ house. The Inland Regional Center is near the Sizzler where I used to get Hibachi Chicken with my mom, on the road I’d take to get to Target. The final confrontation between the assailants and the police happened on the street where our gardener lives. This type of thing had never hit so close to home before.

The victims were men, women, black, white, Latino, Persian, Asian, heterosexual, homosexual, Christian, Jewish… This diversity makes me proud to be an American, and even more outraged at those who are trying to tear us apart, whether they attack with munitions or invective.

I grieve for the victims and their families. And yes, I pray for them.

One East Coast-based newspaper put out a headline saying “God’s not fixing this” and dismissed prayer as “meaningless platitudes.” In the midst of seemingly endless reports of tragedies around the world, we can sense a brewing undercurrent of anti-faith sentiment that seeks to pin the world’s ills on those whose actions are driven by a belief in God.

God is not the problem. It’s the fact that we live in a fallen world in need of redemption.

Jesus told us that we would one day experience the start of birth pains. “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold“ (Matt. 24:10-12 NIV).

That last verse gives me pause. “The love of most will grow cold.” This means that you can know the love of God one day but lose it if you let it grow cold. It says that this would be due to the increase of wickedness– I used to think this meant that wickedness within people would cause their love to grow cold, but what if it refers to the increase of wickedness we see all around us? What if the horrible reports we hear every day start to cause us to question where God is?

And it says the love “of most”– as in “the majority.” If I may paraphrase this verse, the majority of those who have loved God will let that love go because the evil we see around us might cause us to wonder where He is.

Sobering thought, no? That you can be head-over-heels in love, on fire for Jesus, and one day give up on it? Sadly, I already see it happening among some of my friends.

Jesus offers hope and encouragement, albeit in the form of a challenge, in the next verse: “But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved” (v. 13).

It’s heart-rending to see this type of tragedy occur at all, much less during the Christmas season. How could the victims’ families ever see this season the same way again? What memories will non-stop holiday music bring to them? How could anyone be merry during such a time?

Before the greeting card companies and retailers turned this time of the year into something different, the season leading up to Christmas has always been known as Advent. It’s a time to reflect on Jesus’ coming: we celebrate His first coming and wait in anticipation for His second coming, when He will complete His redemptive work in the world and “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev. 21:4). Perhaps by stripping away the tinsel, red hats, and snowflakes, we can observe the original meaning of this season and wait in anticipation for Jesus to come back and make things right.

But before that happens, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me” (Matt. 24:6-9).

We need Him now more than ever.

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. (Rev. 21:5-7 NIV)