Is there a theologically responsible way to talk about the disturbing reality of school shootings? Invoking God as being critically involved with or critically absent from any situation is always theologically problematic. The unlimited immanent (with us) and transcendent (apart from us) qualities of God are quite mysterious to us as limited human beings. We cannot know whether God actively wills or passively allows the deaths of children because of systemic failure on the part of human beings to live in a just, loving, and peaceful society. However, it does seem quite obvious that humans consistently fail in this respect. It may only be by God's grace that we have not yet utterly destroyed ourselves, or even that we are allowed to exist in the first place.
The seasons of Advent and Christmas offer images that remind us that God's grace is painful. Grace allows there to be a world of darkness for the light that is Christ to be born into (John 1:1-18). Mary sings of God scattering the proud, bringing down the powerful, and sending the rich away empty (Luke 1:51-53). The image of birth includes pain and this birth is not in a hospital, or even in an inn, but outside (Luke 2:7). It may not have even qualified as a stable. The text only talks about the manger. Matthew tells of Herod's slaughter of the infants and remembers the haunting words of Jeremiah, "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more" (Matt. 2:16-18).
This is admittedly not a very satisfying theology in the wake of recent events. Grace is not very satisfying, as it appears to allow for such heinous acts as the violent deaths of innocent children. We may ask God why these things happen and God may ask us the same question. Perhaps this is a mystery of the universe that not even God can answer, or maybe it is an answer that we are unable to hear, or not meant to hear, in this lifetime. Maybe painful grace is the true answer that we must learn to live into, even though it is not very satisfying. Painful grace calls us to lament the unfortunate reality of violence, for the sake of the victims, the perpetrators, and the society that creates them. It is a bold thing to refuse consolation and cry to the God of grace for justice as well as mercy.
Jesus, light of this dark world come!
Bring forth your reign of justice, mercy, and peace!
Reward the faithful and the unfaithful with painful grace,
That brings all hearts to repentance,
And restores all things to your glory!
In your holy name, AMEN.
