28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
This verse is offensive. It stops just short of a Hallmark greeting or a yellowing “Hang In There!” poster in a decaying library.
I have been thinking a lot about tragedy. The tragic takes many forms and seems to hide just below the surface, threatening to spring up at the point where we are most comfortable. A late night call, a piercing chest pain, or a talk over coffee, tragedy is indiscriminate of time or space. It comes and goes as it wishes and always trumps preparation and safety. The longer you live, the more you realize that the tragic is a runaway train with no brakes.
But the beautiful thing about this tragic life is that sometimes, victory looks like tragedy.
This verse in Romans is offensive but it is the incredible gift of grace that we get from a savior who lived a life of sorrow. Make no mistake, his thirty plus years were a beautiful tragedy mixed with an overwhelming grace. If salvation means anything, it means that nothing is wasted by a God who thrives in the scrapyard of life. In fact, the broken narrative of life is what made the incarnation of Christ possible. Victory only comes from great conflict.
So the conflict you feel – the storm of tragedy and hurt – means redemption is on the way. Don’t give up. Though the tragic has the loudest word, make no mistake, it never has the last. Their is a hope that transcends the broken shuffle of the mundane and tragic, and it reigns in the dawn of a new creation. Take heart saint, the tragic is never wasted.
Lord of comfort, come. Quicken your peace.
Matt simon blog 