Tragedy Struck

November 03, 2015 | By Chuck

Sunday November 1st, 2015 began like most every other Sunday of the year. I preached at our 8:30 early service and things seemed to go smoothly as we transitioned from early worship to our Bible classes. It was after Bible class that it became apparent to me that this was anything but a normal Sunday. Between Bible class and 10:45 worship it's typical for many to gather in the atrium of our building and just visit. It's common for several different conversations to be taking place at the same time. It's a beautiful scene of fellowship with family members. But on that first Sunday in November, our atrium conversations seemed to focus on the same single topic, the shocking messages that our teens had just received about a tragic accident involving four of their friends from the Cabot community. As I began to ask questions, word began to spread and stories started to circulate as to just how severe this accident was. I was hoping and praying that the details I was receiving were inaccurate. Surely they had misunderstood; what I was hearing had to be a rumor. Within the next thirty minutes I had learned the unfortunate truth of this tragedy that would shock and devastate the whole Cabot community. Just hours earlier, Saturday night October 31st, four local Cabot girls were killed in a horrific car accident. At that point everything went silent, nothing else mattered. I was shocked, heartbroken and even scared about what to say at 10:45 worship. Tragedy had struck our small God loving community. Now what? What do I say to my kids? What do I say to my kid's friends? What about the school faculty and all the many students? What about those four families who lost a daughter and sister? Several Bible verses came to mind and one struck me in the heart and stuck. Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."(Jno.16:33) As unbelievable as it sounds, there is peace, even in times of tragedy, but only in Jesus.