Our community is walking through a the tragic death of a 13 year old that was struck and killed while riding his bicycle by a 16 year old driver. Police are sorting out the cause of the accident. Meanwhile, a family has lost a son, a teenage driver struggles with the finality of this accident, students try to make sense of the loss and a community grieves.
Colin was a good student, played soccer, and was very active in his church’s middle school youth group. He was one of triplets born to his parents. His grandparents had served as missionaries overseas until they retired. The young driver either lived in the same neighborhood or used to live there and had friends in the area. The bicyclist may have gone through a stop sign; the driver’s inexperience may have been a factor - either way, there is no going back to undo this event.
Many ask “Why?”. Why do tragic events happen? Asking why does not result in any good answers. Ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin has stained our world. Bad things happen to good people because of this sin stain.
Asking “What?” or “How” are better questions. Those questions provoke you to grab hold of Jesus and hang on to Him for whatever is next in such deep sadness. What can we learn about forgiveness? How can we face another day and move forward? The parents of Colin have expressed their deep sadness over the loss of their son. Their faith causes them to hold no malice or bitterness towards the driver, but instead Colin’s father offered these words:
“It is our family’s deepest desire and hope as a community, family, church [that] we support this young driver who continues to live with the events that occurred in those brief moments. And to do that, he will need all our love that we can offer him.”
The book of Psalms has 150 chapters. More than 2/3 of the chapters are a heart cry to the LORD asking the “Why” questions. The writer resolves by writing that they do not understand “why” but will hang onto God in the deep valley of despair. It is the only way of making any sense of tragic events.
Psalms 42:4-5
These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise Him,
my Savior and my God.
Colin was a good student, played soccer, and was very active in his church’s middle school youth group. He was one of triplets born to his parents. His grandparents had served as missionaries overseas until they retired. The young driver either lived in the same neighborhood or used to live there and had friends in the area. The bicyclist may have gone through a stop sign; the driver’s inexperience may have been a factor - either way, there is no going back to undo this event.
Many ask “Why?”. Why do tragic events happen? Asking why does not result in any good answers. Ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin has stained our world. Bad things happen to good people because of this sin stain.
Asking “What?” or “How” are better questions. Those questions provoke you to grab hold of Jesus and hang on to Him for whatever is next in such deep sadness. What can we learn about forgiveness? How can we face another day and move forward? The parents of Colin have expressed their deep sadness over the loss of their son. Their faith causes them to hold no malice or bitterness towards the driver, but instead Colin’s father offered these words:
“It is our family’s deepest desire and hope as a community, family, church [that] we support this young driver who continues to live with the events that occurred in those brief moments. And to do that, he will need all our love that we can offer him.”
The book of Psalms has 150 chapters. More than 2/3 of the chapters are a heart cry to the LORD asking the “Why” questions. The writer resolves by writing that they do not understand “why” but will hang onto God in the deep valley of despair. It is the only way of making any sense of tragic events.
Psalms 42:4-5
These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise Him,
my Savior and my God.
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