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Preachers are given two responsibilities: one is to explain the Scriptures, relating them to life issues. At other times our job is to take life and explain it in light of the Scriptures. This morning we wrestle with the second of those two tasks.

To be honest with you, I'm not sure I can do that. I don't have any answers, nor do I have any explanations. But it's important for us to try because the events of last week will touch us more deeply and for much longer than we know.

Yesterday morning I went over to Clement Park, and that was hard, especially when I walked around and read what people wrote. I looked at the teddy bears, the flowers, and the balloons. I watched people cry; it ripped my heart out as I observed people wrestling with this because it was so senseless and such an incredible waste.

But we need to try to make sense of it and realize how vulnerable and dependent we are. It is at these moments that we are most open to God doing things in our lives, and maybe God will do some things in our lives.

God speaks to us in the language of events. It's the nature of the church to share what we think we heard God say. So as I pondered this week what I would say to you this morning, I called some of the people whom I respect greatly and asked them, "What is God saying to you? What do you think he wants to say to his people?" Their help was incredible. Based on those discussions, I have five things I want to share with you.

Overcome evil with good
The first thing I want to share with you is this: I am convinced the only thing that overcomes evil is good. Part of what motivated Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold was revenge. They felt mistreated, rejected, and abused, and this was a way of taking revenge and getting back—evil responding to evil, hate responding to hate. I read that they shouted as they entered into the building, "This is for all the people who made fun of us all these years," and then they laughed and opened fire.

This is our temptation as well. There's a part of us that would like to get even. I was at the mall Friday, and there was a young man leaning up against the wall near the entrance. He wore a black trench coat, black clothes, and black military boots. Half of his head was shaved, and the other half had long hair. I was really irritated, and I told my wife, "I don't think he has a clue. He's just asking for trouble. If he dresses like that, somebody's going to lash out at him."

I looked inside myself, and I'm ashamed to admit it, but I hoped someone would lash out at him. I realized, That's hate responding to hate. That's evil responding to evil, and the only way to overcome evil is with good.

Someone in our church sent me a story about a father of an Oklahoma bombing victim. It is a powerful story of how this father reached out to the father of Timothy McVeigh. I want to read to you what this woman wrote when she sent me the story:

"The thing that has become clear to me is that hate begets hate, and when we respond to hate with hate we become just like the ones we hate, even if we never do the same horrible things they did.

"Those two kids allowed hate to take root in their hearts, and it grew until the fruit of it erupted in this violence. Hate in our hearts can keep Christ out of our hearts. It becomes a locked and guarded portion of our hearts into which Christ cannot enter."

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September (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45