It was 10 years ago when the tragedy of Columbine High School took place, when the loss of young lives dramatically changed forever the innocence of youth. 

It is never easy to see a life lost, especially when that life is young and still full of promise, but the reality is none of us were born with an unlimited supply of bubble wrap around us.  We were never assured that bad things won't happen to good people.  We don't live in a world that is pain free.  But we do have good news!

We are celebrating right now the season of Easter, the time that we study and learn more about the ministry of Jesus AFTER he battled death and won!  We have hope for life eternal, life that is free of pain and suffering, life that is forever, life that brings joy and defeats all sorrow.  This is the wonderful gift for all through the suffering of an innocent Jesus, through the death of a good person. 

To read the stories of those who survived the Columbine tragedy to see what type of people they have become 10 years later is a reminder to us all that even in the midst of tragedy God is there and God remains!

Some of you in our area know that our college community has suffered another tragic loss, and our football program is once again mourning the loss of a friend and teammate.  Our prayers go out to all of them, as right now they walk through a dark time in their lives.  Our prayer is that soon the darkness will be replaced with the penetrating light of the risen Christ, who took away the power and the sting of death!

 

I was reading the Gospel lesson for this coming Sunday and was struck by this thought, "Was Thomas really that bad?"  You know people have really given Thomas a bad rap on this whole doubt thing.  Show me just one of the followers who believed without seeing?  O.k. John talks about believing after he came out of the tomb, but really he needed to SEE the empty tomb for himself, he didn't believe because of what Jesus had taught.

I don't think our friend Tommy was that bad of a guy, and he certainly wasn't any different than the rest of the followers.  His only really offense was that he showed up to the meeting late, then again how many of us can be found guilty of the same offense? 

For me the story of Thomas is a story about us, all of us at one time or another who simply didn't feel that faith was enough but we wanted to see more.  How many times have we asked for a sign from God, or questioned and challenged God in different life circumstances?  I can't be too tough on Tom, I mean I would be a hypocrite if I pointed out his failure but not the many times that I too wanted to see in order to believe.

There are days where I am too much like Thomas, and it is at times like that where I need to be reminded of these words of the risen Lord, "Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." (John 20:29).

Maybe in some cases seeing is believing, but with the risen Lord it is believing that is a blessing!

I have continued to be amazed when I stop and think about completing my 11th school year at Campus Ministry!  This has been an interesting journey to say the least, and yet I find that I still get excited by where the journey leads. 

This journey has brought me to high places with active students who just loved to minister to one another, and to others around us.  Those years were exciting, and it is hard to believe that they were not just last year, especially when I consider the recent Alumni Reunion and meeting some of the children of these same students!

The journey as also been a struggle at times, and sometimes I need to pause and remind myself that during the struggle years, I need to take the opportunity to stop and listen again to God and the leading that God is providing this ministry.

I am sensing a moving again of the Spirit in this place, a moving that I have not sensed in awhile, and frankly a moving that I had realized I missed until recently.  Oh I know that this moving is going to bring about change and twist and turns for the immediate future, but you know that is something that I really love about the journey.  What is God up to?  I wonder how many times the Disciples of Jesus thought that way, asking themselves "What is Jesus up to now?" 

I write this on the Monday after Easter, and there is one thing that I know for certain that Jesus is up to....HE IS RISEN AND DEATH HAS LOST!  My prayer for all of us is that we can maintain this feeling of resurrection well beyond this season of Easter, so that we don't loose sight of the fact that death and darkness have no hold on us, because we have a Christ who is up to RESURRECTION!  Today, Tomorrow, and Always! 

Time to head out and take a few more steps.......I will share what I find with you later......