How do you process things like this?

I work in media in Roanoke, Virginia.  Today two young reporters were killed in our area. I didn't work with them, had met them only briefly. But they were nice to me, and by most accounts were kind, caring, wonderful people. A former employee at WDBJ, who had been dismissed more than a year ago, shot them, and a wonderful lady from the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce,  during a live newscast. How can something like this happen? As a Christian, how do I make sense of a world in which senseless acts of violence can take place?

First off, God created a perfect world, free from pain. Then He gave His creation (us) free will. Free will is a dangerous tool. Some of our choices lead to evil and suffering.  But free will also allows us to experience God's love, and express our love for Him. In order to experience joy, you also have to be able to experience sorrow.

I have to remember how much bigger God's viewpoint is. An ant isn't able to ask me how to drive a car - and I'm just as incapable of understanding God's explanation for any given event. God existed before time. Imagine being able to see all of reality at once, and having the ability to make sense of all of it! God's understanding far surpasses ours. The Bible says that our view of the world is as through a mirror darkly, but that someday it will be made clear. Until then, we won't be able to understand why things happen. I can't comprehend how the world works, or what unforseen positive consequences could come from today's tragedy. Maybe a teenager watching this tragedy unfold will decide to become a police officer, and prevent an even greater tragedy. Who knows? The depths of God's understanding, and his ability to turn life's pain toward good, is beyond our ability to process.

I can't understand everything, but I do know that God loves every one of us. Period. Full stop. He doesn't just love "the good ones", and he doesn't stop loving us because we disobey him. More importantly, he actively works to help us deal with suffering. Several times, the Bible tells us, give our burdens to the Lord. God knows all of our needs. In the Book of Matthew, Jesus said "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?". We're promised that God will give us strength to deal with whatever problems come our way, as long as we're willing to let him help. Psalm 55: Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. The 23rd Psalm also tells us - no matter how troubling your situation, God has the tools to protect you.

Lastly, and perhaps most difficult, is that tragedy builds our faith, preparing us for the future. Faith is a belief in things hoped for and not seen.  In times of tragedy our faith is tested. And just as lifting a weight can strengthen your muscles, tragedy can lead to a stronger faith. As much as the sudden loss of loved ones hurts, dealing with that loss equips us better for whatever life brings us next. 

The family, friends and co-workers of Alison Parker and Adam Ward at WDBJ7 will be in my prayers in the coming days.

“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”

- Amen

It's time for Cena to prove he never gives up

So, @JohnCena lost the U.S. title last night. He and Seth Rollins put on a great match, and Cena has had a ton of great matches in 2015. The ending included a run-in by Jon Stewart, who attacked Cena with a chair.

So, Cena didn't have to lose clean. Which is a shame, because nobody expects Cena to lose clean these days.  In fact, I believe that's why so many fans have gotten annoyed with Cena. It's not that he never changes. It's that rarely loses, and never seems to lose big matches or feuds. And if he DOES lose, there's always an excuse. You see, a comedian hit him with a chair. Or he passed out, but never gave up. Or he lost, but he had to fight 27 members of the authority. Anyone who's watched followed Cena for a year can write every a Cena match, because the same things always happen. Good TV is caused by suspense, and Cena doesn't provide suspense. But he could.

Simply put, Cena needs to lose.

For a wrestler who likes to say "Never Give Up", life has been pretty easy. It's easy to persevere when you never go through a losing streak. So put Cena through a losing streak. Fans would never expect it. After every loss, they'd assume he'll definitely win the next match.

I'm not talking about losing for a week. Or a month. I'm talking about month after month of seeming hopelessness. I'm talking about losing to Bo Dallas, and Zach Ryder, and all the other whose push ended with a "good effort" against Cena.

Making it all worthwhile is Cena's response - he continues to work, continues to say "Never Give Up."  The +Make-A-Wish America  folks will still love him - in fact, they may feel a deeper bond with him, because he's fighting a tough fight.

After several months, Cena comes out and says he needs to start at the bottom. The WWE can make a big deal of his climb, and the Authority can put roadblocks in his path.

By the time he's climbed the mountain, a 16th championship won't leave a sour taste in fans mouth - they might even come together to cheer John Cena.