When life unfolds for us in ways that appear to be senseless and utterly and cruelly unfair, our faith which was formed in childhood and nurtured through God’s grace and goodness may falter, leaving us with a sincere desire to continue believing in a loving and trustworthy God, but at the same time angry that God did not prevent so terrible a heartache from touching our lives.
Don KirklandDuring such times – what have been accurately described as dark nights of the soul – we desperately need our faith as a steadfast anchor in the storm, but instead we often find ourselves emotionally and spiritually adrift in a sea of sorrow that threatens our very existence.
For three alumni of Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville – Todd Borger, Greg Bruckert and Ron McLain (all of them serving overseas) – the question, “Can I still trust a God who allows the worst tragedy to happen,” became more than an academic exercise in a theology class; it became a real-life issue.
Living with her parents who served in the Pacific Rim, 9-year-old Anna Borger, while riding her bicycle, died on impact when she missed the bridge over a creek and plummeted 30 feet into a ravine. Jonathan Bruckert, on his way from Campbellsville University to visit his parents who also served in the Pacific Rim and were visiting in Louisville, was killed when another motorist crossed the centerline, striking Jonathan’s car. Rebecca McLain Pruitt, a 29-year-old elementary school teacher in Laurel, Miss., was murdered after inviting two people into her home who said they needed to use the telephone. She even fed them lunch before they killed her.
The Borgers still have not decided whether to return to the Pacific Rim, but they want to use their lives to share the gospel with a new sense of urgency. The Bruckerts do plan to return to the Pacific Rim, where they have labored for 22 years.
The McLains, who live in Bruxelles, Belgium, felt a need to return to their field of service. “As we search for clarity and comprehension,” he said in a Baptist Press article, “God searches for trust. Nevertheless, grace is the final word. When God begins to stretch us to redefine our definition of fairness, he enlarges our faith with the ultimate goal of increasing our capacity to trust and follow him. His grace, like water, will always flow to the lowest parts. The light has been dimmed, but we continue in the light we have at present.”
Sharing a belief held by all three of the families, McLain said, “We continue to acknowledge that God is worthy of our trust during our confusion and pain. And with that kind of faith demonstrated in the midst of what we don’t understand, there are people watching how we handle this tragedy and looking to see if Jesus really does make a difference.”
“After all,” McLain pointed out, “this is the gospel that we have been sharing for years. In other words, they want to know if we really live and believe what we teach and preach.”
Clearly, they do. And so must we when our lives are shaken to the core by circumstances that leave us holding onto faith for dear life – or rather, that leave us being held onto by a loving, caring God who must remain unfathomable, but who is nonetheless trustworthy in the midst of our suffering and sorrow.