"Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 'A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled because they were no more.'" Matthew 2:17-18
Nearly one year ago, 20 children and six adults were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. As we continue to pray for the healing of families, a community and our nation, many of us still remain in shock, working to make sense of something so terrible. And many still ask, "Where was God?"
Let me be clear: this was not God's will nor was there anything good about what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School or in the many communities across our country impacted by gun violence. The world can be a dangerous and violent place. And each of us, though created in the image of God, is capable of great evil.
It is precisely to this world, a marred and broken place that God came as a helpless child. It is for this beloved, violent and broken world that Jesus died. When God saw his precious son broken, God said enough! In Jesus' resurrection, God said no more death – not for God's son, not for any of God's children.
That is our hope. And that is what will make it possible for us to prepare with joy, especially in the face of death, for the coming of Emmanuel – God with us.
Elizabeth A. Eaton
ELCA Presiding Bishop
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
