There has been a lot of conversation in my house lately about the goings on of late. Things that have to do with violence against others, and behavior that no one expects or can fathom.

Where is God? (He is here, and it breaks His heart to see his creation hurt each other) Does He care? (Yes, He came to save us, from ourselves, but we still have choices)

How do we wrap our brains around it all? There is suffering, tragedy and things that break our mortal hearts wide open. For some of us that is how we ended up in recovery. Because the suffering of our world was just too much to bear, and we needed to escape it, even for just a few moments.

There are some that will shake their heads, and say it wasn’t this way when we were kids. No, actually, the dangers and evil just change shape. Names, faces and places will change, but the brokenness of this world stays essentially the same. We can rage against it, anesthetize ourselves to escape it and immerse ourselves in denial.  We can even pretend it is something other than what it’s been since Cain took to violence and snuffed out the life of his brother.

But where do we go from here? The difference we can make in the here and now is to be present. Meaning, talking to our loved ones, to those we are in fellowship with on a daily basis about how they are doing. Showing an interest in someone, and then following through on that interest, so that people don’t feel isolated, angry and left out. And those that do have significant problems will have people in their lives helping them find the help and resources they need to get back on track, and to alert others if intervention becomes necessary.

Lives get changed a person at a time, an idea at a time. Grand sweeping concepts and lots of cash really have never solved much of anything, except to sound good in a speech, and to buy some bureaucrat another vacation house. So, instead of continuing the same nonsense that didn’t work before, and thinking we will get a different result, let’s focus on what will change hearts and minds.  Those in recovery know how redemption works. It’s a one life at a time proposition, folks. Decreasing isolation, increasing accountability and fellowship. There’s lots to do, so spread the word.

God’s peace be with those who are hurting and grieving, wherever you are.