It’s the question everyone instinctively asks when tragedy strikes — why do bad things happen? I’ve asked that question myself plenty of times. All I can say as an answer is that I don’t have an answer. I don’t, and neither does anyone else. It’s a question asked out of frustration, anger and sadness, and since we have no true answer, the question only yields more frustration, anger and sadness.
With the latest tragedy I experienced, I immediately asked, “How could this happen? Why do bad things happen?” But once the initial awful shock passed, and I resumed life as best I could, my thoughts wandered to the inexplicable good things that had happened through the tragedy, and a new question popped up in my head: “Why do good things happen, especially in the face of bad things?”
Even when the greatest tragedy strikes, birds still sing, because that’s what birds do. People still laugh, because that’s what people do. The mountains still look beautiful, because that’s what the mountains do. Friends still support you, because that’s what friends do. And God still loves you, because that’s what God does.
Good still happens because that’s just what good does.
When tragic things happen, our first reaction is that everything is bad and there’s no good left, that bad is taking over the world and we’re hopeless to change it. But the undeniable fact is that good still happens. There’s no amount of bad that can eradicate goodness. And if you think that in any way bad discounts good, you are believing a lie.
Answers are usually a comforting thing, so our first instinct when bad things happen is to try to find answers — to demand why and ask how could such a tragedy occur. But that question has no conceivable answer. Personally, I find no comfort in that question. And I don’t think that question is a path to any sort of truth. That question only breaks hearts and steals hope.
There's an equally puzzling yet hope-producing question that I'd rather ask: “Why and how do good things happen?” Before, during and after tragedy, good things have happened, do happen and will happen. I want to choose to focus on the beautiful mystery and comfort of good. As tough as it might be, I ultimately want to dwell on the baffling pieces of good that happen regardless of circumstance.
While I face a tragedy, the only thing I can do is try to fix my eyes on good and confidently hold onto a hope. I hold onto a hope that one day we will no longer need to worry about good things or bad things or why they happen. I hold onto a hope that this great mystery will be revealed. I hold onto a hope that there is a place where bad has already been eternally defeated — a place with only good. And I hold onto a hope that until I experience that place, there's not a thing in this world that will stop good from shining its light in the midst of bad.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. […] For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. […] I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NKJV Romans 8:18, 24-25, 38-39)
