Faithfully Looking for God's Presence

As I write this, the massive manhunt for the suspects who committed the bombing at the Boston Marathon appears to be over.  This marks the end of a week filled with new tragedies – an evident terrorist attack, a massive chemical explosion in a Texas town, severe storms and flooding – and the anniversaries of other tragedies – including shootings at Columbine High School and Virginia Tech and the Oklahoma City bombing.

Inevitably, such new tragedies remind us of other devastating events that are seared in our memories, violent events such as the Newtown massacre and the 9/11 terrorist attacks and natural disasters like the 2004 tsunami and the Joplin tornado.  The national attention and grieving make us remember where we were when Pearl Harbor was attacked and when President Kennedy was assassinated.

In the face of such events, particularly those with the loss of life, we ask, Why?  Why did innocent people suffer and die?  In cases of violence, we wonder in disbelief, Why would someone do this to other people?

Often, our questions then turn to God.  Why would God let such awful things happen?

This question has challenged people of faith for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.  Where is God in the face of violent evil?  Where is God in times of sudden distress, suffering, and death?  Some, understanding God to be omnipotent, struggle to comprehend how an all-powerful God chooses not to prevent such tragedies.  Some, understanding God to be wholly love, fear that some evil may be outside God's ability to stop.

My own assumption is that God is more active than we know, acting with wisdom that we cannot understand or fathom, which seems to be the implication of God's speech from the whirlwind in Job 38-39.  I imagine that there are many more tragedies that God prevents than we endure, but, as terrorism officials are constantly reminding, it is difficult to measure success by trying to count things that don't happen.

Whether this is true or not, though, there is a persistent question, Why is God silent?  If there are reasons why such tragedies must occur, why doesn't God share that wisdom with us?  Why won't God speak, whether in a still, small voice or out of the whirlwind?

I certainly have wondered these things many times.  I wish that God would share a glimpse of wisdom with us during these tough times; I wish God would answer our questions just as we must answer the questions of our children.  But sometimes I ask another question, What could God say that I would accept?  If I find the answers given in the Bible difficult to comprehend, what new word of God would I understand?

Recently, though, I've wondered if this focus on God's silence is misguided.  Maybe a profound answer, almost a sigh deeper than words, is given in scripture.  As the resurrected Jesus is speaking to his disciples before ascending to heaven, he says, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Maybe it is more important to see God's presence in times of chaos and tragedy than listen for God's voice.

As a person of faith, I know that God is present during times of tragedy.  As waters rise and winds howl, as shrapnel flies and flames explode, God is present there.  More tangibly, if also more ephemerally, I have begun to notice God's presence in the aftermath of tragedy: in those who sacrifice themselves to prevent greater loss of life, in those who rush in to help the victims, in those who move to restore order, in those who come to comfort the grieving, to pick up the pieces, to rebuild in the shadow of destruction.

After the Newtown shooting and again after the Boston Marathon bombing, a quote from Fred Rogers circulated on Facebook and the rest of the Internet.  Mr. Rogers (or, really, Rev. Rogers, as he was an ordained Presbyterian minister) often said, when asked how to speak to children about tragedy, "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping.'  To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world."

So often we experience this sinful world as cold, anxious, and broken, filled with people who are fearful, backstabbing, and selfish.  How, then, do we explain those who go toward the violence, toward the suffering, toward the anguish?  How do we fathom people who run into burning buildings, who dive into floodwaters, who don flak jackets and head toward gunfire?

God's presence may be difficult to see at the moment of crisis, but it is unmistakable afterwards.  A handful of people may perpetrate acts of terror, pursuing their own ideological agendas, but the number of responders exponentially dwarfs them: EMTs, doctors, nurses, police, firefighters, public officials, ministers, emergency aid workers, National Guard troops, utility workers, and then, almost always, an army of volunteers.  And, with few exceptions, their main agenda is this: How can I help make this awful situation better for those who are suffering?

This is an attitude of compassion and hope.  These are acts of healing and love.  They are the example of God Incarnate, Jesus Christ, who promised us, "I am with you always...."  In fact, there are echoes when I almost hear Jesus continue, I am with you... in the hands and feet of those who bring healing and restoration... I am with you... in the hands and feet of those who share my mercy and love... I am with you... I am with you...

And I remember something my mother taught me.  Actions speak louder than words.