suffering and tragedies

This week I will be dedicating my posts to answer the question of suffering. "The Problem of Pain" as it has been called has come to a forefront in Rochester over the past few weeks (and year).

Within the last two weeks, three young children have died. Two in a flood, ages 2 and 5, I believe. The other was a three-month old infant, and I am unsure of the exact cause of death.

On Saturday there was a wreck in the county which caused one death and may lead to the death of another of the persons involved.

A young girl named Nicole died in accident on the 14th. She lived in Bourbon.

A helicopter crashed into Bass Lake, killing two people last April.

Two members of the Triplet family died on their way home to Lapaz from a Rochester golf tournament in July.

I believe it was last year that a young boy was killed in a go-carting accident on a rural road (I was unable to confirm the date).

A man named Rouse confessed to several murders last year after he was arrested on suspicion of murder of a woman in 2005.

Most of last year in Rochester was shadowed by the trials of Newgent and Baker for their murders in 2005 at a local motel.

And so, death has come into our town this past year in a way that I cannot remember. These last two weeks, in the wake of 4 young deaths, have been heart-wrenching for many.

I will do my best to leave room for grief and I will do my best to give glory to God for the things that have happened in this past year.

Take some time to pray for the families involved in these things. May God grant them peace and salvation for His namessake.

-joe