Charles F. Stanley - When Tragedy Strikes

WHEN
TRAGEDY
STRIKES

CHARLES STANLEY

Copyright 2003 by Charles F. Stanley

Repackaged and Revised.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from THE NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE , Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations noted NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishing House. All rights reserved.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Stanley, Charles F.
When tragedy strikes / Charles Stanley. [Rev. ed.].
p. cm.
ISBN 0-7852-6121-4 (hardcover)
1. SufferingReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. Consolation. I. Title.
BV4905.3.S73 2003
248.8'6dc21

2003017495

Printed in the United States of America
07 08 09 10 11 WOR 8 7 6 5 4 3

Contents

Psalm 27:13

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?

When evildoers came upon me to devour
my flesh,

My adversaries and my enemies,
they stumbled and fell.

Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;

Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident.

I am writing this book some time after our nation experienced the devastation of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Since then, I have had opportunity to consider, prayerfully, the impact of those events on our nation, and I have come to realize that to the citizens of America, the toll of this national calamity is essentially a representation of what happens day by day in the lives of millions of individuals across the globe who face tragic events that consume their lives, their time, and their energies.

The truth is, however, that when disaster strikes a person, it is almost impossible for that experience to be merely an individual matter. Usually loved ones at home, parents, siblings, extended families, and friends and neighbors are affected and involved.

Bearing this in mind, I want us to consider together some of the issues that inevitably manifest themselves when tragedy strikes us. With Gods help, we will see that without living in fear, we can, to some degree, be prepared so that when tragedy suddenly comes our way, we may have some understanding as to what we should do and how we should respond to the crisis. Our source for guidance in this matter will be Gods Word. It has much to say about dark and difficult days and how we should respond to them.

As we reflect together, I am going to refer to the 9/11 situation not only because it is still a very vivid memory for all of us, but also because out of the horror of those days there are some lessons to be learned about dealing with tragic events. For example, individual and group responses to the disaster were so helpful to the bereaved and to many of the survivors, enabling them to get through their pain and anguish.

Also, I want to point out that the best in human beings is often demonstrated when tragedy strikes. People from all walks of life provided the finest examples of what we can do and how we can help grieving and suffering people.

Finally, all of us need to be reminded that our God can and does bring good from evileven in the midst of unthinkable horror. He is present to help and give us His blessed comfort. My prayer for every reader of this book is that you will see very clearly Gods perspective regarding tragic events, and if now or in the future you face critical hours or days, you will know He desires to intertwine your needs with His wonderful understanding and help you to go on and get through.

WHEN
TRAGEDY
STRIKES

H idden away on the third page of our newspaper in mid-November 2001, was the story of thirteen miners who died at the Blue Creek No. 5 mine in Brookwood, Alabama. Apparently there was an initial explosion, and three miners were trapped, injured, or killed. Ten other miners immediately went into the mine to try and rescue their stricken colleagues. While seeking their friends to give them aid, another explosion occurred, and all thirteen men lost their lives.

And do you recall some years ago when a little child in Texas fell into a well and the ensuing struggle by paramedics and firefighters to find and rescue her? If I remember correctly, the child was trapped for almost twenty-four hours, and the longer the event wore on, the more focused the nation became on that little one. The life-and-death concerns around that child grabbed Americas attention, and millions were riveted to the TV, until finally she was rescued safe and sound, except for some bruises and a lot of tears. It was as though all of us had participated in the event, and we all shared the thrills when she was saved.

I suppose these stories would have grabbed front-page headlines on a normal day, but the days immediately following 9/11 were anything but normal.

It seems to me that because of the 9/11 attacks, as never before in our lifetime, many of us Americans feel we are now living in a world where the possibility of death and disaster loom as very real causes for concern. Intuitively, we seem to understand that the enormity of the dis- aster that ensued as a result of the attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., makes other tragic moments in the day-to-day affairs of our nation pale in comparison. Yet, we all know that the heartache stemming from any type of tragedy is very real, and no matter how small or localized the circumstance, it affects deeply all of those who are involved. So, we dare not make light of any situation that leaves people in grief.

The pain and sorrow caused by tragic circumstances affect all cultures and societies. Sooner or later, every person will be faced with the sadness and difficulties associated with a sudden traumatic event that will change forever life as they know it. And tragedy comes in different shapes and sizes. Individuals, families, cities, regions, and nations experience horrifying disasters. And, as in the case of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, some tragic events affect the entire world.

In recent memory we recall massive damaging earthquakes in Turkey and Mexico that took many lives. We shudder at the thought of hundreds killed in religious warfare in Northern Ireland and Indonesia. Some of us remember our sense of disquiet during the days following the nuclear meltdown in Chernobyl. And what can we say regarding the school shootings in Colorado, Oregon, and Kentucky?

Frankly, dear reader, the reality is that tragedies are ever present with usthey are part of our daily existence. But almost always they occur with such devastating abruptness that we are left in shock and panic. We get the phone call about the auto accident. We hear of the heart attack. We catch the quick flash on the evening news about ships colliding on the high seas with the whereabouts of the crew unknown; and much of the time we are stunned by what we see and hear. Sometimes, however, many of us seem to be immune to the sudden news events that should change our status-quo feelings and galvanize us to action but which, in reality, find us sadly apathetic and unmoved by the trauma.