Habakkuk 1:1-4

“Why do you make me see wrong-doing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.” vs. 3

Over 2500 years ago the prophet Habakkuk took a look at the chaos of his world and uttered words that could very well have come from our own mouths. Like him we want to cry out to God in frustration and pain. Over and over again we see the pictures of bleeding, dying children, killed by bombs and poisonous gases. There are videos of beheading and news reports of violent clashes. Racial tensions have escalated as accusations are made about police killings. Random shootings are everyday news in our cities and drug deaths are increasing. We cower behind our locked doors and buy more and more guns in a futile effort to make our society safe. On top of all that we have the devastating rhetoric of our divisive political campaigns and a sense that common civility has been lost forever. No wonder we join Habakkuk in offering complaints to God! Yet in the midst of our despair people of faith still find occasion for hope, and in the most horrific circumstances we catch glimpses of God’s loving presence. Contrary to the evidence, we have not been abandoned, and so we continue to trust in God’s ultimate justice and peace.

Thought for the Day: What do I do when the news is too much to bear?