Scripture of the Day - Jesus Christ (Luke 13:4-5)

Yesterday while driving in town I found my thoughts drifting to the events of ill-fated Malaysia Airlines Flight #17 which was shot down over Eastern Ukraine a few days ago. In particular, I found myself wondering why those people died so. I supposed that for each person there was a different reason(s) as each person had their own unique life and their own unique relationship with their Creator (or lack thereof). Then, out of the blue, loud and clear, the passage of Scripture below rang in my mind. Not only that, but how it applied: any other plane could have taken its place and any other group of 298 people could have taken their place just as easily, including me being on the flight and it would add up the same. We are all God's children and greatly loved but we are all broken people, too, and we belong to our Creator who does with us as He sees fit. Anybody who feels this is cruel or unjust and unloving does not "get it": the problem is in their comprehension or rather, lack thereof. We don't have to fully understand these things nor can we in our current state of existence.

 "Or those eighteen people upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you really believe that they were sinners more than everybody else who resides in Jerusalem?  I'm telling you, absolutely not, but rather that unless you repent you will all in like manner perish." ~ Luke 13:4-5 (Kimicus ad Absurdum translation)

The point Jesus makes clear is that we all deserve to share the same ill-fate as people we hear about on the news enduring horrific outcomes to their short, ephemeral lives. As far as God is concerned we are all down in the shit together. We must not deign to think they suffer thus because of some special sin on their part more so than you or I. Indeed, in the case of some people, including small children, one can be certain they suffered thus not one iota because of any sin on their part. Perhaps unbeknownst to us they are being spared some worse fate down the road we cannot foresee.