Tragedy In The Midst

WED., AUG. 3, 1983, 6:49 AM
FARM, STUDY

From time to time I must offer you a Teaching relating to human tragedy, for it is a fact of life that you in the Western world seem unwilling to accept. Further, you want Me to have no part of tragedy except in feeling sad, impotent, or able and willing to reverse the action and have everyone “live happily ever after”. But My message to you is that I AM involved in many of the tragedies of life. You know this, but I do not want you to forget it.

Apply what you once said about accidents to human tragedies. How many have not happened today? The number of potential tragedies is virtually infinite, so those that do happen are a tiny portion of those that could occur. News reporting gives the impression that tragedies are common; in actuality they are a tiny aspect of life… but an important one.

Tragedies are part of the rhythm of life. In general, tragedies bring premature death and some balancing of the population of humans. Humans, like every other form of life, will breed too far… to a point where numbers are threatening to the earth and other life forms. As numbers increase tragedies seem worse, for more lives seem to be involved. Just consider, also, that more have NOT been involved, so that as life is dangerous, it also is relatively safer.

But, most importantly, tragedy is a time of potential growth. The experience of living through a tragedy wherein other lives are lost and great damage occurs is one of great potential growth. To some it might seem perverse to make such an affirmation, but no Christian who reads the Holy Scriptures with understanding can miss the repeated teaching that tragedy is part of the world I have created and that I manage.

You have experienced few tragedies, but you know, and you do affirm, that you have grown in understanding and in humanity and in spirit from these few. Sometimes it only is in the experience of loss that you come to best appreciation of what you have. You have affirmed to me that you realize how ideal your life has been, and that no tragedy could cause you to affirm otherwise… that life was hard and unfair. There has not been a need to test that, but in tragedy it would be truly evaluated. Would you still acknowledge Me as the Lord of Life if you had a stroke or if another of your sons should die, or if…? As you sit here in My Presence, hearing My words, your resolve is strong and your faith is solid. But there is no tragedy in our midst. Does your strength carry on over into adversity?

Though My Purposes ultimately prevail in the earth (and My major one is that spirits should grow and develop toward Me and toward selflessness) there are many other purposes being worked out, many of these in direct opposition to others. The earth has limits, and some who drive cars or ride motorcycles simply exceed those limits, and the crashes are usually tragic. The purposes of one nation can run counter to the purposes of another, and the results seem tragic.