Why do we seek an explanation?

Everyone everywhere has been talking about the shootings in Tucson on Saturday, and the major theme underlying all the discussions has been getting more knowledge and finding someone to blame. Why? Because if we can explain the tragedy and assign blame, we can ignore it as something understood, thus making the world again predictable and safe enough for us to snuggle up in the false security of our very good theory.

See, we scoff at the Indians who wore “ghost shirts” to ward off army bullets at Wounded Knee, but we turn around and think that having a better theory of the universe will ultimately prevent pain and tragedy in our lives or around us. The truth is that the world is full of evil and it will not be predicted, controlled, or prevented in its entirety by anything we do. And no matter how good your theory, evil will still occur, probably even to you.

Evil is real. There is very little we can do to stop it. And God is in control. If we come to Him, He doesn’t promise to protect us, but He does promise to make us His, which is much better than any protection.