Today I am travelling to Colorado to help my daughter’s family move to Texas. That includes my nine-year-old grandson and three-year-old granddaughter! Yesterday I read the news of three nine-year-olds being shot and killed at a school in Nashville, along with three adults. My eyes filled with tears as I prayed for the families impacted by this unspeakable tragedy. And I thought of the words from Jeremiah that are quoted by Matthew in his Gospel:

Jeremiah 31:15 This is what the Lord says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.”

I will hug my children and grandchildren more tightly each time I see them. And the longer I live in this vale of tears, the more I understand and appreciate the lament, “How long, O Lord?”

Psalm 6:3 My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long?

Psalm 94:2–3 Rise up, O Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve. How long will the wicked, O Lord, how long will the wicked be jubilant?

Habakkuk 1:2 How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?

Revelation 6:10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”

We wonder how long, because we live in a fallen world. But we should remember that we, too, are the ones who are sinning. God could rightly ask, “How long will you continue to be disobedient?” Yes, living in this world of sin in terrible, but we contribute to the awfulness with our failure to follow God’s ways.

That is why we should appreciate just HOW LONG and deep and broad and high God’s love is for us, love that was determined to rescue the world from its deserved fate, love that would open heaven for those who believe in Jesus, love that will not let us go, even in the face of gut-wrenching events like school shootings. I found comfort in God’s promises recounted in this hymn:

Oh, love, how deep, how broad, how high,
Beyond all thought and fantasy,
That God, the son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortal’s sake!

 For us by wickedness betrayed,
For us, in crown of thorns arrayed,
He bore the shameful cross and death;
For us he gave his dying breath.

 For us he rose from death again;
For us he went on high to reign;
For us he sent his Spirit here
To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.

 All glory to our Lord and God
For love so deep, so high, so broad;
The Trinity whom we adore
Forever and forevermore.

(Lutheran Service Book #544, stanzas 1,5,6,7)

 Lord, have mercy. And thank you for having had mercy on us.