Jesus Light in Trauma

After he was raised from the dead,

his disciples remembered that he had said this;

and they believed the scripture and

the word that Jesus had spoken.

(from John 2:13-22)

One morning I received a phone call saying, “Rev. Cooper, this is the Fire Chief informing you of a structure fire on 226 Main St”.

That meant the church was on fire.

At the church I found fire engines, anguished church members, and smoke rising from the education wing. 

That evening we held a service praying for guidance with the coming trials of damage repair and continuing ministries.

One unspoken, heart-felt prayer was, “Jesus, where are you in this tragedy?”

When I long for answers, I begin searching the Scriptures, not merely for a verse here or there, but a story or event. 

The Gospel states John’s mission is to witness to testify to the light, shining in the darkness which did not overcome it so all might believe through him.

The bigger picture here is the 46 years of rebuilding the Second Jerusalem Temple only to face destruction by the Roman colonizers.

This is the traumatic darkness John’s community was living through.

John’s mission is to testify to the light shining in that darkness.

John testifies with the story of Jesus’ making a whip, overturning tables, and claiming he’ll raise it up in 3 days if it’s destroyed.

The light shining in the darkness is remembering and believing the scripture as well as Jesus’ spoken words.

To believe the scripture and Jesus’ word means living by the conviction there is light somewhere in any darkness you’re experiencing.

My witness to you is that the church fire was deep darkness, but Jesus was the radiant light in the prayer service that evening.