A Cloud over Christmas

On Friday Janet and I will be headed to Newtown, the town drenched with sorrow that the whole world is watching. Walnut Hill Community Church, a thriving congregation with 3500 members, has arranged two community-wide meetings, Friday and Saturday, Dec. 28-29, on the theme, “Where Is God When It Hurts?” and then two church services on Sunday. (Click on the “Events” tab for more details.)  I’ve known the pastor, Clive Calver, for years. Before taking this church he headed an organization called World Relief; his experience directing a global disaster response team with 20,000 employees, he told me, barely prepares him for the local disaster he now faces in his own community. After all, he lives in Newtown and knows many of those affected by name.

I’ve had some tough assignments (Virginia Tech, Mumbai, Sarajevo), but this one is horribly unique. I would truly appreciate your prayers this week as I prepare and then New Year’s weekend as we travel to Connecticut. With her background as a hospice chaplain, Janet is a master at the conversations that will inevitably take place, and she’ll do very important work alongside.

Healing and comfort–that’s what I want most for these dear people. Words can only do so much, and certainly cannot take away the pain, yet I hope that this event could be a time of safety and honesty when people can bring their grief and come away with a new appreciation for why the gospel is good news–even now, especially now.

(This is a generous country at such times: United Airlines is comping both our tickets and two of my publishers are donating some 2000 copies of my books on questions no doubt being asked: Where Is God When It Hurts? and What Good Is God?  They’re also offering free downloads to the community that weekend.)