When Tragedy Strikes Jesus' Response to a World Gone Wrong

WHERE IS GOD WHEN TRAGEDY STRIKES?ICEBREAKERWatch the portion of the movie Patch Adams where he was contemplating God''s presence in an evil world. What was Patch Adams'' conclusion?Patch Adams'' experience of calling out to God in difficult times is common to all humanity. What are some specific examples of experiences that could cause people to cry out to God today?If you''ve ever called out to God in a time of distress, did he seem close or far away, and why?How did that particular situation make you feel?How close is God in times of stress? Where was God when the World Trade Center was burning in New York? When the Federal building was bombed in Oklahoma City? When millions of Jews were exterminated in concentration camps? Where is God when loved ones get sick or die in wars? Does he care about individuals? Can he handle the honest, pain-filled questions of those who are experiencing pain?These are the deeply human questions we ask of God in times of loss. But what are the answers? We can learn much about this subject from those in the past who have experienced similar loss. Transport back in time about three thousand years to the life of a writer named Asaph. We have no idea who Asaph was or what was happening in his life, only that he was a director of music when David was king. And yet the following song he wrote is powerful and speaks to our times as well.Read Psalm 77:1 - 9I cried out to God for help;I cried out to God to hear me.When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;at night I stretched out untiring handsand my soul refused to be comforted.I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint.You kept my eyes from closing;I was too troubled to speak.I thought about the former days,the years of long ago;I remembered my songs in the night.My heart mused and my spirit inquired:"Will the Lord reject forever?Will he never show his favor again?Has his unfailing love vanished forever?Has his promise failed for all time?Has God forgotten to be merciful?Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"1. What adjectives would you use to characterize the tone of this song, or psalm?2. What''s remarkable about the way Asaph approaches God?3. In order for people to be able to approach God in this way, what must God be like?4. Why do you think God included this song by an unknown person in his book, the Bible?Consider the following story from the life of Jesus, who claimed to be God in a human body.Read John 11:17 - 44On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home."Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?""Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you."When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."When Jesus saw her weeping,Ashton, Mark is the author of 'When Tragedy Strikes Jesus' Response to a World Gone Wrong', published 2002 under ISBN 9780310245247 and ISBN 0310245249.