BY: Pastor Luis Rodriguez

This week has been hard, in the aftermath of the Uvalde shooting the healing process begins, in these moments of grief some people are brokenhearted, some are angry, and some may feel that they can’t go on. This situation reminds me of Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” What beautiful words from King David, and these words could not be truer during this situation. We may not see it and we may never understand it, but we know that the Lord is near the ones who are brokenhearted, he is near the people of Uvalde, TX. He is there to save those who’s spirit has been crushed. This event has changed this small community, forever changed by this act but even amid this tragedy I know that the Lord is at work and will heal this community, and in time they will be able to move forward. We do not understand why these things happen, but even in the middle of this tragedy he creates something good. It reminds me of the master potter, the Lord is the master potter, when the clay spoils in his hands he can rework it into a new vessel, the same way the brokenness brought forth by this tragedy, in the hands of our Lord he will rework it and make something beautiful that we cannot see at this moment.

One question remains in this situation, what can the church do? I believe that the church needs to be the salt and light of the earth in this situation, the church needs to be that city on the hill that cannot be hidden, for all to see the light of Jesus shine in the middle of this storm, and they may come to the Lord with their broken hearts and find hope and peace in Jesus.

My prayer this week is for us to continue praying for the people of Uvalde, that the light of Jesus shines in the middle of this dark tragedy and that the survivors may find peace and hope in the precious son of God, our Lord Jesus.