The last year tragic things have happened in my church. One year ago a young woman died in an accident in the mountains. Eli was 22 years old, and she was a youth leader in my church. Two months ago a teenage boy died in an accident on his small motorbike.  Georg was 17 years old. He was very active in my church, together with his family.

And we ask: Why God, why do such things happen? Recently I visited Georg’s parents, and we had a long talk. They have asked this question “why?” over and over again. Their pain cannot be explained. But in their grief they have experienced God’s peace. They have experienced how numberless prayers from brothers and sisters in Christ have lifted them up.

How privileged we are to have God’s peace in our hearts, the peace that the world cannot give or understand. When we are in our deepest anguish and sorrow, not even able to form a prayer in words, God sees us, and he gives us his peace.

What a privilege that we can have God’s peace unconditionally. We cannot buy it, we cannot inherit it, we do not win it,  we do not deserve it. We can have it not because we are great believers, or that we have earned it by hard work. We can have it because Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  Peace was earned, not by us, but for us, by Him when He died on the cross.

This is truly a message for the people who are broken. We can pour out our soul to Him when we have lost everything, when our grief cannot be explained. Come to me, Jesus said, and I will give you my peace. We receive it by His grace alone.

Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Eli answered: Go in peace. (1 Samuel 1)

Margun Warem, October 2010