As the night driver took a wrong turn and crashed the bus at high speed, according to Sports Illustrated, "moans and screams echoed through the cabin. Twisted bodies were strewn inside and outside the bus." A Bluffton counselor said about teammates who survived the crash, "Those guys saw things no one should ever see."
That has been the case in much of the world -- in Iraq, where suicide bombers leave body parts strewn across highways; in Sudan, where Muslim militias once again march against southern Christians; in every land where horrible diseases make some think that God is not good. Those with open eyes sometimes wish they were closed.
But after Bluffton's tragedy and many others, faith in a God who personally endured suffering made a huge difference. Sports Illustrated reported, "To a man, the players say that the tragedy has solidified, not shaken, their faith. They focus on the lives that were spared. . . . Ask John Betts, a Mennonite, if he's angry about the death of his son, and he laughs. 'Angry? David was a gift from God I had for more than 20 years. How can I be angry about a gift?'"
For some personally, 2007 has been a happy year. For others, it has not been. Illness, divorce, job loss, sub-prime mortgages -- all these and more lap away at the sandcastles we construct. But after God has given us years filled with gifts, how can we be angry?
Marvin Olasky
Marvin Olasky is editor-in-chief of the national news magazine World. For additional commentary by Marvin Olasky, visit www.worldmag.com.
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