Only God Can Say Never Again and No More!

Read: Romans 12:15; Isaiah 65:17-25; Revelation 21:1-6

This week marked two solemn anniversaries. April 19 was the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing which struck the Murrah Federal Building. The day when 168 people, several of them children, died as a result of the evil act of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. Even so, this FAQ about the two gates at the Memorial is a reminder that healing can come even out of such unspeakable pain:

Question: What is the significance of the 9:01 Gate and the 9:03 Gate?

Answer: "The Gates of Time forever frame a moment of destruction and tragedy. The 9:01 gate is a symbolic reference to the last minute of innocence for our nation in regards to domestic terrorism. The 9:03 gate is a symbolic reference to the first moment of recovery, the moment when grieving, and healing, began. The time of 9:02 a.m. stretches between the two, presenting a tragically long minute in which citizens were killed, survived and changed forever." Between these two gates, there is a reflecting pool.

On April 24, there was another time of special remembering. It was Holocaust Remembrance Day. A time to celebrate the living and remember the heinous acts that resulted in the deaths of 6,000,000 Jews. One of the goals of remembering, in addition to honoring both the living and those who perished is that an atrocity like this will never occur again. How fitting that the oldest survivor of the Holocaust Nechama Grossman age 109 died on Holocaust Remembrance Day. Only a few months after the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. "Never again." That is the stated desire of the Jewish people, and of course, whether it is spoken or not, that is the same desire for those whose lives were permanently altered 30 years ago in Oklahoma City. To that desire, we say amen.

The sad thing about living in our world that has been broken due to sin, Genesis 3, is that no one can say with certainty that an evil act like the Holocaust or the Oklahoma City bombing will never occur again. Yes, thankfully there are those who work very hard to protect us as much as possible. We greatly appreciate each of those security people and also those who stand against bigotry and hatred; however, sometimes man's free will and his desire to do evil come together resulting in events that we can't understand. Though there are many questions we have concerning why God permits these things to occur, God's Word does not leave us without either way to help in the midst of brokenness nor are we without hope; therefore, we are able to come alongside others when times of sorrow enter into their lives.

I love God's Word for the every-day practicality in it. He gives us ways to help one another even in the hard times. Teaching us how to treat each other and at the same time, pointing them back to the One Who loves them supremely, John 3:16. Let's look at just one of them.

In Romans 12:15, there are two commands. One speaks of rejoicing, but for today, let's look at what we can do when the waves come crashing in. There we are exhorted to weep with those who weep because their hearts are broken. From the youngest to the oldest, we all can offer an embrace or the touch of our hand that says that we care about what they are experiencing. A reminder of love and empathy since, although our circumstances might well be different than those experienced by the one who is hurting, we know what it feels like to be shattered and confused.

There might or might not be other ways we can reach out to someone who is hurting, but knowing that they are not alone in the hurt can be their first line of defense that can sooth the ache that they are experiencing. When we show tenderness toward the one who is suffering, we are treating them like Jesus did when He saw the tears of the widow whose son had died, Luke 7:13. What a picture of our caring Savior that is.

Yet, there is more that we can give those who hurt than even our understanding. Enter Hope! There is only One Who can promise that there will come a time when "never again" and "no more" will be a permanent reality. In fact, this was always God's plan. The LORD Who knew that Adam would sin, always had a rescue plan. A way to undo the brokenness that was already evident when Cain murdered Abel, Genesis 4:1-8. After all, He had already unveiled the promise of redemption in Genesis 3:15. No, the details as to how it would play out weren't yet given; however, the promise was there right after man disobeyed God's one and only command, Genesis 2:16-17. Our gracious God did not leave Adam and Eve without hope. Hope came to fruition on the day of resurrection that we just celebrated. When Jesus rose from the dead, the promises of "never again" and no more" were displayed as the Redeemer walked among His people. Jesus showed His people that He was indeed alive! Satan's head was crushed as was promised way back in Genesis 3:15. Jesus was victorious.

1 John 3:1-2 reminds us that because we have received this hope, we are God's children: See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

What Hope we have!

In Isaiah 65:17-25 and Revelation 21:1-6, we are given a snapshot of some of the wonders that will be a part of our lives in the kingdom God has prepared for us. It is a place filled with beauty, joy, and contentment. There will be no more death. Neither will we deal with any infirmities or pain. Never again will violence or hatred be a part of anyone's life. Even the animals will not harm people or other creatures. No more cruel words will be spoken and the Glory of God will be seen and experienced everywhere, and He will be with us. He will wipe away every tear, and there will be nothing in His kingdom that will mar our joy, Psalm 16:11.

There is only one sad thing about the hope we have. Many don't belong to Jesus; so, although they might be comforted by our empathy, they have no real hope for eternity. Therefore, there is one more thing that we can do for them. We can humbly and boldly tell them about Him. Almighty God Who alone has the power to proclaim "never again" and "no more". The One Who offers us all that we long for. The One Who can keep every promise that He has made.

Lord, You alone know those who still bear the effects of both the holocaust and the bombing of the Murrah Building. Please send Your workers into their lives to meet them at their points of need, Matthew 9:35-38.