iHurt

This week's "iLife" sermon could have come right off the pages of our local newspaper. "iHurt" This is a small community. Six degrees of separation narrows to two blocks. In the space of five days we've lost a deputy sheriff and the man the officer went into a home to apprehend after the man's family had him sent to be mentally helped. The deputy was the son of a woman who works as an aide in the school across the street we volunteer at. His best friend also lost a coworker and fishing buddy the next day.

For a friend, it was the anniversary of the day six years ago that her husband's airplane crashed.

For another family, their little girl who has been fighting disease is back in the hospital, her mom is sick as well now, and the dad in the family is running out of paid leave as he tries to cope with all the... pain.

Everybody hurts.

I cannot hope to explain why any of the above happened in a sermon Sunday.

But I have to explain how God's love can transcend it and redeem it.

I have to.

Pray for me. That God in His infinite wisdom and mercy will so fill me with His Holy Spirit that whether the words I speak hit their mark or not, people's hearts will be turned toward the author of comfort and the Prince of Peace.