Above all, never question the truth beyond all understanding and surpassing all other wonders that in the long run nothing, not even the world, not even ourselves, can separate us forever from that last and deepest love that glimmers in our dusk like a pearl, like a face.~Frederick Buechner (From The Sacred Journey)

Today is the twenty-fourth remembrance of 9/11--that traumatic day in 2001 when the Twin Towers were attacked by terrorists in New York City. When we watched in disbelief as the structures crumpled. It felt like a movie, but it was our reality. That day, I heard the news just as I was leaving a doctor's appointment with the good report and relief that a lump in my breast had dissolved and I did not have cancer. The day before, September 10, 2001, my husband had been in New York City near the vicinity of the towers. Only a day later he might have been killed. Mercy and horror. What do we make of this counterintuitive brew?

Then just yesterday Charlie Kirk,31, Turning Point USA co-founder, was assassinated during a rally held at Utah Valley University. I'd watched him on YouTube several times fielding questions from college students as he traveled around to different campuses in the United States. He invited people who opposed his views to sound their voices. His communication style was direct and respectful. He spoke not only of his political views, but also of his deeply held faith in Jesus Christ. He was married and had two small children, both under four. A little boy and a little girl. He said what he most wanted to be known for at his death was his faith. 

I feel tremendous sadness today--for Charlie, for his wife and children, for the country. There is so much division and hate and violence. What is my response? I have a small patch of acreage here on the internet. I have sixty-two followers. I don't know most of you, don't know your political leanings, your race, your faith in God or lack of it. But one thing I've always attempted to proclaim here in my small parcel of the internet is that God is good. He honors free will. He loves the world and sent His son to die for our sins. And then Jesus rose from the grave to conquer death once and for all. If you are struggling now to know what to do in light of all the bedlam and bloodshed, turn to Jesus. Declare your need for Him to forgive you and receive His life. Everlasting life. The gospel of Jesus is the best and only answer for all of us. Jesus is that last and deepest love that glimmers in our dusk like a pearl, like a face. And if you know Him already, turn to Him anew. He is never wearied in seeing you approach, never tires of hearing your voice.

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.~Romans 8:28 (The Message Bible)