It’s been an intense few days. Attacks in Edmonton, a shooting outside a nightclub in Toronto, the unbelievable carnage of the mass shooting in Las Vegas. The world is struggling with so much right now, that it just feels like overload. Too much. I can’t process any more. 

I’ve been trying to formulate a response, and coming up short. 

But I came across this in the Psalms this evening:

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 

My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 

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. 

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.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭42:1-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I feel like our tears have been our food all across the western world this week, and people are asking, “where is your God?”

 We are hurting and mourning and wondering what our world is coming to. And we should be – we should be hurt and confused, upset and feeling lost. The world got ugly this week. 

But the thing is – God isn’t absent. He’s right here, in the mess with us. And I think the Psalmist is right – putting our hope in God is the only way to make it through times likes these. 

The only thing that can combat hate is love. The only way we can live in opposition to violence is to live in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentlenesss and self control. 

The world needs us. The world needs us to live a radically-other-centered love…the way that Jesus did. 

This week, in the midst of the darkness that surrounds us, may you find ways to shine some light. May you love when the world seems to hate. May you be generous when the world tells you that you don’t have enough. May you be kind, and patient. Gentle and full of joy. And may we, together, change the world.