Impending Doom

The evening before last I had a sensation of impending doom…that is, I had the sense that something awful was about to happen.  This has occurred to me on a handful of prior occasions.  I felt restless and anxious without any apparent reason.  Nothing I could identify had happened to trigger these feelings.  I just expected that something would happen.

Yesterday Notre Dame burned.  A tragedy impacting people around the world.

But also yesterday, somewhere…

*a sweet baby was aborted

*a child died because of abuse or neglect

*a young girl experienced genital mutilation

*a teen overdosed

*a young mother was killed by a drunk driver

*undignified, dehumanizing slavery was imposed on someone

*a loving heart was broken by infidelity

*gossip destroyed someone’s whole social support system

*a diagnosis of a terminal illness brought someone’s world crashing down

This is the week when Christ must have felt the weight of future horrors.  He knew he would die and how he would die.  He knew that he would bear the weight of the sins of all of us.  He also knew that after passing through this hell, he would be victorious over death itself.  He knew Notre Dame would be built and that it would one day burn.  He knew each of the awful things I have listed.  He knew.  He embraced death to redeem man.

Now he looks at the evil in our world and grieves.  Each and every person can, if they make the choice, come to him for salvation and mercy and strength to face each day.  Redemption is available.  If we turn our backs, we will one day burn.  All our accomplishments can be wiped out as easily as any human made structure, no matter how ornate and imposing, can be incinerated.

Today may be filled with agony, but the resurrection is coming. 

New life is coming. 

Dawn is breaking!

Even so, come Lord Jesus.