closer to home

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Jeremiah 17:9

Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Romans 3:15-18

I've read over these verses nearly one hundred times. Typically I do one of two things with them: examine how my own heart would look awfully similar if not for salvation and the power of the Holy Spirit within me and observe where I see these truths still playing out. God's Word is not ancient. It may have been written thousands of years ago, but the truths are timeless. All people are sinners. They are not all on the same level, because some people are far more evil than others (most of your historic dictators for example). However, we are all evil nonetheless.

Now I can remember losing a number of people in our community over the years. Diseases, accidents, and other tragedies are not foreign. They are one facet of the evil on this earth. They are a result sin's corrupting effect on all life. They aren't easy to deal with either, and I do not want to diminish the pain and sorrow accompanied with these.

But today the horrific evil, which I tend to identify only existing elsewhere, showed up next door. This type of evil goes right back to the verse I listed above. It's the result of a deceitful and sick heart, a lack of fear for God, and feet swift to avoid peace. Tragically, a ten year-old girl was kidnapped, assaulted, murdered, and thrown in a local dumpster last night. Stories such as these are heard throughout this world and equally horrific. But when it moves closer to home it becomes harder to swallow.

Since college my life has almost revolved around kids. I have worked as either a summer camp counselor and swim coach ever since the summer after my freshman year. I taught two years as an elementary school teacher. One of those years was as a substitute locally which frequently brought me to the school of the young girl. I can't say I remember her clearly, but her face seemed familiar even though she was a first grader that year. I went to India to share the good news of Jesus Christ with children of all ages. And now my passion is to work with youth to see them grow in their love for Jesus Christ. Today's tragedy hurts more than any other I have experienced outside my family and sphere of close friends.

I cannot fathom the motive of the individual, nor how a heart could grow that sick. I cannot fathom the pain of the mother, grandmother, relatives, friends, classmates, teachers, and everyone else who knew her. I cannot fathom what this precious one endured when she should have been home eating dinner. I'm grieved and angry. My heart wants justice, but struggles against vengeance. I know the end of the wicked is sure, like Job, my eyes tell me the wicked prosper.

But I (and I pray the family and close friends too) can cling to our God:

• Your God reigns (Isaiah 52:7).
• Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it (Deuteronomy 10:14).
• The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18)
• Behold, I am making all things new (Revelation 21:3-5)