A local Lake Nona tragedy

Many of you remember receiving an amber alert on the Wednesday evening before thanksgiving. A five year old boy named Aaron was missing. If you are like me, your heart sank and your pulse quickened the moment you read that message. Many police officers searched diligently and people in our community went out with flashlights to try and find the boy. The next morning we learned that the boy had drowned. A tragedy happened right here in our community and it breaks our hearts.

Human suffering and tragedy often raise a lot of theological questions. It is natural to ask questions like, “why did God allow this to happen?” “If everything happens for a reason, then what was the reason for this tragedy?” “Where are you God?” I heard different versions of these questions from people in our congregation.

I wish I had answers to these questions but I don’t. Frankly, I am skeptical of people who claim to have all the answers to deep questions about God. All I can offer is my testimony of how I have learned to wrestle with these questions while walking alongside people who have experienced tremendous loss and grief.

I believe God is never the author of our suffering. God is the author of our redemption. It is not God’s will that a five year old boy has drowned. To imply that it is, by saying things like, “this happened for a reason” can make God seem like a monster. I believe that God is present and working for good in the midst of every situation no matter how hopeless it may seem (Romans 8:28). I also believe that God is present in every person who responds faithfully like the neighbors and police officers who helped last week.

I believe in the God of resurrection. If we truly believe in God’s power to bring new life out of despair then we should always have hope. God is creating new life in heaven for five year old Aaron and God is creating new life for all the people who miss him dearly.