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Hello St. John’s Family,
In only a fraction of a second our lives can completely change.
I was reminded of that cold reality as I saw news video of a teenager scaling a Center City light pole, joining in the joyous celebration of the Eagles’ win. A young man, caught up in a moment, makes a choice. An unwise choice that, seconds later, leads to a horrific, life-ending injury. A choice yielding an outcome that young man never fathomed, yet tragically became reality before he could even realize what happened. Tyler Sabapathy’s life changed in a fraction of a second.
Yet it wasn’t only his life that was changed. Parents, family and friends; teammates and classmates; so many who encountered Tyler Sabapathy in his 18 years of life - even if that encounter was merely through the news coverage of his fall - are impacted. As a parent of college-age children, my mind immediately went to the shock and pain of his parents. The agonizing heartbreak, worry, and fear they felt as they were notified of their son’s fall. The hope and cries for a miracle, followed by the emptiness and grief when a miracle never arrived. Though we can never fully grasp the depth of their pain, I sense we can all relate to the heartbreak they are experiencing.
Tragedies like Tyler’s fall… a collision of a plane and helicopter over the Potomac… a sudden, explosive firestorm that ravages Los Angeles… always raise more questions than answers. While I don’t pretend to have the wisdom or insight to make sense of these tragedies, I do trust that God is present in the midst of them. I sense that God longs to comfort as we question and mourn. In that process – trusting God is present in our difficulty, uncertainty, and seemingly senseless pain – I sense God slowly reminds and reveals a more complete picture of what it means to be human.
It is in our pain that we are reminded how we’re all fragile, mortal beings. We’re reminded of the sacred beauty of life itself, and the amazing gift of sharing life with each other. Of the deep connectedness we have to others, the joy that can bring… and, as we heard last Sunday, how when one hurts, we all hurt. We’re reminded – at least I am – of the many unwise choices I have made along the way, and how grace is the only thing that’s “brought me safe thus far,” as the old hymn sings. And we’re reminded how, in our darkest moments, the sun rises each new day. A simple, yet tangible reminder that God doesn’t abandon us.
As you go about your day today, consider praying for all those who’ve experienced tragedy recently. Pray that God’s presence will be revealed in a tangible way to all who are hurting, and that if God is seeking to work through you to extend comfort, compassion, and care, you’ll be attentive to that nudge and ready to respond. And let someone who is special in your life know how much you love them. Offer a hug, text, kind word, cheesy dad joke… whatever you can to let someone know you love them. Because, in this broken world, we never know what the next second may bring.
On Sunday, we’ll conclude our study of 1 Corinthians 12 and 13, exploring how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. In light of the connectedness and gifts that Paul mentioned previously, we’ll see an even more excellent way to guide our life together as Christ’s church. I hope you’ll check out 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 then join me in worship!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Brad
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