SUNDAY SERVICES:

 

        Four died and nine were injured on May 4, 1970. It was a protest at Kent State University against the invasion of Cambodia by US forces. I was in seminary then and wrote a paper around that event for both my ethics and theology courses. From either angle, you couldn't make sense of it.

                                 i.          Why?

                              ii.           What happened?

                            iii.            Who was at fault?

 

 

The Parkland High School massacre, 17 dead and 15 wounded, happening on Ash  Wednesday, both remind us of our mortality, but really... I still can't answer the questions and I hurt and I'm angry! I don't know what else to be.

 

 

         Parkland and Kent State, two very different situations and the same senseless waste! I suppose it helps us with the existential acceptance of evil, the depth of the fall of humanity, and total depravity, whatever that is? Perhaps this! And this is getting all too common.

 

         After listening to people on TV tell me why this is escalating and comparing stats of how many soldiers pulled triggers in WW1 for point blank killings to how many more did in the Vietnam War, my fear for our children, and children's children, and wondering how much worse can it get, and so on and so on - if we had no other reason to fast and take Lent seriously, well here it is!

 

        One person on TV this morning ( Thursday) said, "Condolences, we are going to hear again condolences! Condolences without action are meaningless! We need to do something!"

 

What?

 

         I think condolences are okay, and/but I think our Lord Jesus would agree with this TV talk show hostess, without action... we need to do something!

 

i."What are we saved for?"

 

iii."What is it we are supposed to be doing with our salvific status?"

 

Jesus is unrelenting on his answer to this question.

Come  Sunday.

 

          And I believe he shed the first tear and perhaps, as he is alpha and omega, will shed the last, whenever that is, over the horror of this past Ash  Wednesday afternoon.

 

Lord have mercy.

Lord have mercy.

 

May the blessing, mercy, and grace of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be upon us all,