No more

Every so often sheer evil erupts so shockingly we are forced to look at it square in the face, as harrowing as that is. That happened today when a gunman at Virginia Tech shot dead 32 people and injured who knows how many others. I've read it was the single most deadly shooting spree in American history. I can't think of another word to describe it besides "evil".

How does a Christian respond to such evil? Now is not the time to score theological points, i.e., here is proof positive that humans are sinners in need of a Savior. It is a true enough teaching, but this is not the time to declare it.

Rather, Christians must simply weep and grieve with the students and families who are suffering now. Jesus didn't speak of the sin that is the ultimate cause of human death when he went to the grave of Lazarus. Rather, he wept (John 11:35). I trust that the Christian communities connected with the school are doing just that, and will be doing much more of that in the days and weeks ahead.

At the same time, our response must be one of faith. There is no pat answer to the question, "Why would God allow this to happen?" In fact, we don't have the answer to that question. But we do know that God is sovereign, and that he is good, and that somehow he will bring good from this wicked crime. God cannot be the "God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3) if he is anything less than all-powerful and all-good, at the same time. We must believe this.

And we know that Christ came into the world to conquer evil. He did this by suffering evil himself, even to the point of death on the cross. By his death, he defeated death forever. And our hope, our hope that is as certain as the empty grave, is that Christ will bring us into a new world in which there is no longer any evil. "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Rev. 21:4). Then, there will be no more Columbines, no more Virginia Techs, no more suicide bombings, no more death. "Amen, Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 21:21).