Editorial August 27, 1990 Issue

Finding meaning in the face of senseless tragedy

Elaine Natale

When something strikes us to our depths—whether a personal loss or a loss affecting a group or nation—the most heartfelt sympathy isn't enough. Mere words, even tender ones, can't "explain away" the senselessness of an accident or disease or the pain inflicted by hatred. We long for a promise that life can be different from this.

A young friend who lost a classmate in an automobile accident commented sadly, "Maybe I could begin to deal with what happened if I could just see some meaning or purpose in it." She was struggling to make sense out of what inherently didn't make any sense. Evil simply doesn't make sense. There is no meaning in death, suffering, injustice of themselves. But there is meaning and comfort to be found in God's love and in the spiritual truth of man's permanent identity in Spirit. And this spiritual truth is available to us, even in the worst situations.

The notion that man is so much matter destined to eventual destruction isn't the truth of our being. God, Spirit, didn't create man of matter, subject to chance and victimization. In our true being, we are created in His likeness, the likeness of Spirit, to express eternally His intelligence, goodness, and love.

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