I woke up with theodicy (the question of why evil exists in the world) and brokenness on my mind this morning. As I stumbled from the edge of the bed to the coffee pot, realizing that there probably wasn't enough coffee in the world to help me sort thru these thoughts in their entirety, the list kept growing:

Sick children who are confined to hospital beds, people who are attacked for simply being who they are, the homeless and jobless who roam the streets and highways begging for change so they can merely survive the day, the brokenhearted who have longed to be loved but who are only met with disappointment and rejection, those who struggle with mental illness and do their best to relate what they're feeling to a world that just doesn't understand.

I often find myself subconsciously asking God "Why?" in the midst of these situations and others when, really, I think the better question might be to ask "Where? Where are you calling me to go and use my life to ease the suffering of others with the power of your Spirit?"

And then, of course, as I'm running thru all these questions like a hamster on a wheel, I get to the gospel reading for today. It's one of my favorites. John 20:19-22. Jesus appeared to the disciples after the resurrection and said to them, "'Peace be with you. As God has sent me so I am sending you.' Then he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'"

God has not left us alone in the grief of this life. God walks alongside us, comforting us when we hurt and empowering us when we don't, encouraging us to offer words and acts of love to those who suffer so that they may know God's love and presence has not abandoned them.

We have been breathed into being by the God of Creation. And that same God breathes God's Spirit into us so that we may go into the world, see the brokenness, and do something about it out of the unconditional love that is given for all just as Jesus did so long ago. 

We cannot stand idly by when we witness suffering in the world. We must go where the Spirit leads us so that God's will of healing, wholeness, and right relationship with all people may begin to be revealed in the here and now.
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Prayer makes a difference.
Writing notes of encouragement makes a difference.
Making donations to people directly or organizations that seek to help people makes a difference.
Being present with someone in their suffering makes a difference.
Listening, not talking, makes a difference.

Putting God's will before our own makes a difference. 

What will we do to let others know they are not alone in their suffering today? Will we notice the Spirit abiding with and guiding us? May it be so, O Lord, and may we honor you as we seek to spread your love and compassion to the ends of the earth.