IMMEASURABLE SADNESS

No words can express the anguish of those who have lost a child. When death comes to many children at once as it did last week, we visibly see evidence of evil and wickedness in the world. There is no answer to evil except our Lord Jesus Christ alone and His victory over sin, death and Satan. 

Watching the news coverage, I recalled a conversation some thirty years ago with my church choir director who excitedly told me of a "new song" she had heard for the first time. It was called "The Coventry Carol," written sometime in the 16th Century England. It's first words are, "Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child, Bye, bye, lully, lullay." She said it had such a wonderful melody. 

When I explained to her those words came from a song lamenting the killing of children, her face dropped and she quietly said, "Oh, my goodness!" Needless to say, the church choir didn't sing the song that Christmas. It is a song few want to hear. Its haunting words and melody came to mind while contemplating the tragic deaths of twenty first graders at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Here is what happened according to Matthew 2:16-18: 

"Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah (31:15): 'A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more'."

We can see that Newtown, Connecticut, is a modern  "Ramah," and "Rachel" the grief-torn parent. Yet the child Jesus was preserved from this ancient destruction, an act which benefitted all people of the coming ages. God could have destroyed that old tormentor king and his soldiers with a stroke. He chose rather to provide a hiding place for His people, then and for all ages. Still today, God preserves us from being swept away, even when a demented enemy comes in with weapons of death.

December 26th is the day the Church calls "Holy Innocents," a remembrance of the little boys killed by an evil man in his quest to destroy helpless children. My heart goes out to the grieving fathers and mothers, and also to the father of the young man. His family was also destroyed that day, together with the innocence of the living and dead school children. 

May the Lord have mercy upon the souls of the slain and slayer, and may He bring all survivors hope in the Gospel of our Lord. May the Lord Jesus give the pastors and all Christians in the area great wisdom and compassion in bringing hope and love to those affected.

The risen Jesus Christ alone is our hope and answer to all sorrows.