Being Present
The picture on the front page of The Dallas Morning News this morning captured the moment well. There, amidst the river-strewn debris near Camp Mystic in Kerr County, was a hand-painted sign that simply read, “Jesus Wept”—the shortest verse in the Bible (John 11:35). It also captured the moment well when Jesus encounters Mary, Martha, and their grieving community after the death of their brother Lazarus. There is nothing else to do in that moment except cry. No finger-pointing, no what-ifs, no theological rationalization—none of that is of any help. Only crying is—being present with tears and hearts.
Like you, my heart has been heavy all week since the news broke … and continues to break. We immediately contacted longtime friends and members of FUMC Kerrville to confirm they were okay. They were. But they knew people who would never come home. It was heartbreaking. All I could do was affirm that Cammy and I were present with them in their personal and community losses, and in sadness of heart and prayer.
I often tell people that the book of Job is one of the great teachers of how to be both helpful and unhelpful in the face of unimaginable loss. Job loses everything to tragedy; there is nothing to do but sit in the stunned silence of his unspeakable grief. His two friends come, and for a week, simply sit with him—saying nothing. Counselors would tell you they could not have been more helpful to their friend. Then they blow it. They start asking questions about what he could have done to cause this. What did he do to deserve it? It is painful to read, in large part because it captures biblically what we so quickly move to: the blame-and-rationalization game. For people who are hurting, that is nothing but cruel.
No, at the end of the day, we are left gasping in our speechlessness in the face of such tragedy. Yes, there will come a time when hard lessons can be heard—about weather forecasting and warnings, about early response systems that rural counties have difficulty affording, and about the plain human tendency to minimize the importance of such things. But that time is not now. Now is the time to simply be present with those we know affected by this tragedy, and to be present with each other—sometimes in silence and tears that say, “I know.”
Lord, remember them unto your kingdom,
Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor
P.S. FUMC Plano is receiving donations for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). 100% of your gifts will go toward disaster relief in the affected area of our sister Rio Texas Conference. You can give HERE, and select “UMCOR Disaster” from the drop-down menu.
