Making Sense Out of the Senseless

The death of our brother Botham Jean has impacted the world. He was an outstanding and upstanding Christian man who loved all and was loved by all.  He dedicated his life to the God who gave him life and shined his light so that others could see Jesus, the light of the world.  And all of us a sudden, while in his own home, his life was taken from him by one sworn to protect lives.  

​There are far too many incidents of officers shooting unarmed African-American males.  But this time is different.  Botham was not doing anything suspicious.  It was not a traffic stop gone awry.  Brother Botham Jean was shot because he was at home.  A police officer, off duty but still in uniform, kills a man who was simply living his life in the comfort of his own home.  Botham’s death has left millions trying to make sense of the senseless. 

How do you make sense of the senseless?  In Psalm 27, David writes about his struggle to make sense of the senseless.  His world was not much different from ours.  There are evildoers and adversaries.  There are foes and fears.  There are even false witnesses.  In verses 13-14 David concludes with words that encourage us in times like these.  “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” (NKJV)

It is a belief that we will experience the goodness of God on this side of eternity that helps us make sense of the senseless.  The truth is that some things will never make sense.  We may never have all of the answers or be able to fill in all of the missing pieces.  Yet we do not despair because we will see the goodness of God.  When life doesn’t make sense, look for the glory of God to shine brightly.  God does not just have better awaiting in the by and by.  There is blessing in the here and now.  When situations are senseless, look for God to show forth His goodness both in this life and in the life to come.  

​Hope in God is not wishful thinking or a pipe dream.  Hope is a confident expectation of a better tomorrow.  It is that hope that strengthens our hearts.  When we are experiencing the pains of life we should expect God’s comfort.  Knowing the Lord, allows us to speak confidently because we have come to trust His promises.  Even when dealing with sorrow, we believe the promise of Jesus, “Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted.”