WHEN TRAGEDY COMES

2 Samuel 12:1-31; John 16:1-33; Psalm 119:65-80; Proverbs 16:4-5

“Then David confessed to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan replied, ‘Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the Lord by doing this, your child will die.’ …Then David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon.”

“You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy…. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

“I know, O Lord, that your decisions are fair; you disciplined me because I needed it.
 Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant.’

“The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished.”

Why does God take the innocent child and spare the sinful man? Sometimes, the heart has questions the head can’t ignore. Or answer. It is often only in the crucible of apparent injustice where the measure of a person’s faith finally can be taken. I can’t pretend to know the heart of God. Neither can I be intellectually honest and ignore David and Bathsheba’s story. So, I will make of it what I can.

Initially, the most important thing my pastor said the first time I told of how we almost lost our first child was, “Never forget some people just don’t get to bring their babies home.” To anyone facing devastating loss, it is most important to remember first that there may be no reasons, at least that we can see or know this side of heaven. We cannot – and should not presume to - know another’s feelings in this area unless and until we’ve been there.

Second, it would be unfair and dangerous for any person to analogize David’s experience to anyone else. Let retribution remain the Holy Spirit’s prerogative. Though this may raise eyebrows, even Nathan may have been wrong. He did have a history of putting his own view ahead of God’s. Remember, he told David to go ahead and build the Temple, and God had to correct him? Truly, the death of Bathsheba’s baby may have had nothing whatsoever to do with God, and I say that to say this. Too many people are too willing to call down the wrath of God on those they judge as “sinners.” Because their mind or faith is too small too otherwise accommodate or make sense of tragedy, they take the easy way out, blaming otherwise inexplicable horrors on the victims themselves, or the Lord. We should never allow our own insecurities or lack of faith affect how we respond to others’ disasters. It is beyond cruel to attribute catastrophies to Christ without being absolutely sure. Even then, it’s probably not helpful. If the cause is that obvious, the folks who need to know and are willing to consider it already probably do. Given the margin for error and the ruinous blow a wrong interpretation can have on the faith of those left behind, in this area, interpretation is best left to the Spirit.

Finally, anyone who reads this story and sees only judgment just doesn’t get it all. Even at its worst, the chronicle never stops being about redemption, restoration and resurrection. The word is clear: no matter how far we fall, no matter the depths of depravity to which we all too willingly descend, there is no place the love of the Holy Spirit is not willing to reach down to instruct us, revive us and rescue us. Jesus’ point is there is always hope, always something to look forward to, always a reason to let God pick us up and set our feet back on solid ground. David understood. He mourned and repented. His baby died. He got up and moved on, confident in his future ability to be reconciled with God and all the innocents he’d so victimized. He did not allow himself to wallow in grief or guilt. He allowed God to continue to use him, so his return from his horrible sins became an unparalleled example of grace realized which still provides many encouragement today.

To all those facing tragedy – man-made or otherwise – I offer simply this. Because Christ lives again, so can we all.  We do not have to wait until death to begin the process of renewal and resurrection, either. God wants to share our grief. Only He can redeem it.