It's Good Friday on the Mississippi River tonight, and I can't get Breanna Viager, Cassaundra Turner, and Jessica and Holli Harker off my mind. They were just kids. Breanna was 8, and I had met her in church a time or two. Cassandra was 15, Jessica,11, and Holli,13. I did not know them at all, but still I grieve. We all do and deeply at that. Their families are devastated, our churches are struggling to explain their deaths, and nearly every person in the Quad Cities feels a measure of loss. We grieve because they were so very young and because they should have lived much, much longer.They should have had the chance to dance, work, and grow old, but a house fire took all of that away from them this week.
They were just spending the night together. They were lovely and loving kids- kind and compassionate, thoughtful and warm-and they were our kids. So we grieve. We grieve for their families, their friends, for ourselves, and for those who die too young all over the world. It isn't fair, but nothing in life is really fair, Certainly, "fairness" is not a Biblical theme, but repentance is, rebirth is, grace is, salvation is, and life is, which brings me to Easter. Easter is not about bright colors, new outfits, plush animals, and family dinners (although I love all of these). It is about life and victory and eternity, and it is the only hope we have. Without Easter, there would be no compelling reason to be Christian and our lives would invariably end in sadness. However, Easter is real and the Resurrection Truth is ours! Glory to God, this changes everything, and because we carry this promise to our graves, we never grieve without hope. We cry, even sob, as Jesus did over Lazarus' grave, because the emptiness is too deep and because the pain is too great, but we always know that our tears will not be the final word. Easter doesn't alleviate the wounds of Good Friday- but it heals them. It doesn't eliminate death- but it conquers it.
May our gracious Lord give the grief-stricken family members and friends of these kids, and this heart-broken community as well, at least a glimmer of light this Easter Sunday.
Pastor Kenn
