When tragedy strikes

Rick Warren is an American Christian pastor and author.  He is founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, which has grown to became one of the largest churches in the United States.  He is perhaps best known for his book, The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 32 million copies.  In 2009 he delivered the invocation at Barak Obama’s inauguration. 

Of course, however well known a person is, or however high their public profile, they are not immune from many of the ups and downs of life which are part of human experience.  Earlier this month Rick Warren and his wife Kay suffered what must be about the worst experience any parent can go through, when their youngest son, Matthew, committed suicide at the age of 27 after a long battle with depression.  

As Rick Warren himself has said, ‘the ultimate test of faith is not how loudly you praise God in happy times but how deeply you trust him in dark times.’  When tragedy strikes, we have a clear choice: we can either turn our backs on God and believe that he has let us down, or we can run to him, trusting that his love will see us through.  When tragedy hit the Warren family, no doubt the world watched to see how they would respond.

I follow Rick Warren on Twitter, and I have been so impressed and encouraged by the messages he has sent since the death of his son.  Here are just a few:

My great comfort in pain isn't in knowing that God will someday use it for good, but that RIGHT NOW HE'S SUFFERING WITH ME.

In the first shock of an unspeakable tragedy, don’t speak. Hug them! Weep with them! Just be there. Use touch, not words.

In crisis? Release your grief.  Receive help from others.  Refuse to become bitter.  Refocus on what matters most.  Rely on Christ!

Real hope doesn't deny tragedy. It faces it head-on. Hope says "Yes, it's really bad, but I still trust God."

The real tragedy is that most people never trust God until they have to, and then they have no experience to fall back on.

Explanations don't bring comfort. The love and presence of God does.

Grief comes in waves.  When a big wave hits, you can’t ignore it. You surf it and ride it out. My surfboard is talking to Jesus.

"Broken heart” originated in the Bible. “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those crushed in spirit” Psalm34:1

Here is a man who is practising what he preaches, and demonstrating an unshakable confidence in God in the face of personal tragedy.  I hope that I would respond to tragedy in the same way.  My thoughts and prayers continue to be with Rick and Kay and their family.