A Nation at Half Mast

Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb,
and naked I shall go back again.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
blessed be the name of the Lord!
We accept good things from God;
and should we not accept evil?

-Job 1:21; 2:10b

On Friday, July 8th ,I woke up to the sound of the 5 am news.  Words struck my attention:  Protest....police officer shootings....5 dead, 6 wounded....suspect killed by a drone....Downtown Dallas shutdown after an ambush.  I heard these words but could not comprehend in the midst of morning grogginess.  It was not until after I drank a piping hot cup of coffee that the situation sunk in.  Wow, not since September 11th, 2001 had so many police officers been killed at once.  Of course. It had to happen in my home city of Dallas.  I always cringe when the City of Dallas makes the national news.  Usually it is not in the best limelight.

Everywhere in Dallas, the US and Texas flags fly at half mast in solemn memory of police officers killed. What tragic and senseless violence.  One delusional man with a hate for white people.   Black Live Matters protest against racial brutality.  Police officers peacefully protecting these black protestors from harm.  

Life in itself is a precious gift from God.  Our Lord made us unique races, cultures, and ethnicity with love in mind.  Our own prejudices, bias, and sinful nature cause us to do things that harm one another.  No one color of skin is better than another!  No one race should rule over another.  We all fall into a huge melting pot of differences that bring diversity to this earth.  We can learn from each other if we can let go of the stereotypes and truly listen to each other's point of view.

Time and time again I feel MEDIA play the number one role of fueling societal woes.  They bombard our minds with sensationalized reporting of hot topic issues.  

As Job asks, "We accept good things from God and should we not accept evil?" Sadly, evil is everywhere, often lying dormant behind the scenes until it makes its appearance.  Destroying lives and fueling fear; fear that is so debilitating that most of us wonders if good will ever win over evil.  Of course it will! 

God does not leave us alone to suffer. Accepting evil as a part of our human existence  challenges us to pray, minister to others in need, and do whatever it takes for the goodness of the human spirit to radiate.  

A nation at half mast. As we mourn and pray for the souls of those who have been tragically killed, we will triumph over evil because we have the power of the Holy Spirit at our sides.  

-J.