They're Alive!

"The Thief comes only to kill and steal and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full". -- John 10:10

"But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." -- Luke 15:32

As I write this blog I am listening to the CNN reports about the return of Gina De Jesus to her family after almost ten years of captivity. I can see the balloons, yellow ribbons and placard signs all along the street where her family lives. The reporter just told me that the faded, weathered picture of a fourteen year old Gina nailed to the side of the De Jesus house has been there since she went missing ten years ago. Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight, and Gina De Jesus were all abducted within weeks of each other, ten years ago. Gina was fourteen years old when she was taken off the street, in broad daylight, on her way home from middle school. She had asked her mother if she could spend the night with a friend. Her mom said no, and then Gina was gone.

My daughter is fourteen. I can’t imagine. I don’t want to imagine. This story is too hard to watch. 

And yet, we can't take our eyes off of it. It's a heartbreaking story. It captivates the nation on several levels. First, most of these abduction stories don’t end with happy reunions. So we are thankful for that. We get to see families reunited after ten years of worry, frustration, unimaginable pain and heartbreak. After ten years most family members have resigned their hearts to the inevitable. Amanda Berry’s mother passed away without knowing whether her daughter was dead or alive. This is a story fraught with an inextricable mixture of joy and pain. It’s a lot like life, I guess. The balloons and yellow ribbons and weathered pictures are a reminder that life is full of pain and joy, heartbreak and hope. This story is not over for these young ladies and their families. I’m sure there is a lot of pain that must be processed over time. But for now – today – they know deep down joy. And that’s something to hold on to and remember for the lean times to come. 

On another level, we are horrified by the pure evil of the perpetrators. I won’t even mention their names because they deserve neither fame nor infamy. They deserve to remain nameless and should pay for their heinous crimes with the full force of the law. If I were in charge of the world they would be placed unarmed in a large room with all the armed relatives of these three young ladies. That's probably why God won't let me be in charge of the world. But the story affirms that evil is real and alive in our world. It is a wake-up call to remind us that we live in a fallen world where people live with ugly inner demons. And sometimes those demons spill over and cause terrible damage. The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. 

On yet another level, it is a reminder of the incredible endurance of the human spirit. These young ladies are already an example of the will to survive and endure. That's part of the reason we want to hear their voices and know their stories. Their stories will come out over time. It is much too early to speculate about the horror they have endured. I’m sure there will be a made-for television, unauthorized movie within the next few months. I can picture the Hollywood producers salivating as even now they board planes for Cleveland. I’m sure the Los Angeles casting calls have begun. The movie will be made – count on it. I won’t watch it. I can’t watch movies about children being kidnapped. It hits a little too close to home. But whatever the details of the story – this much is sure – the human spirit is an amazing thing … and these young ladies, in one way or another, are an example of that. 

Finally, the story speaks to us about the grace and goodness of God. The CNN reporters have temporarily shifted to the Jodi Arias trial and the news that the jury has reached a verdict. What a world we live in. Soon they’ll turn to yet another story because somewhere in the world, tragedy is striking again. I want to go back to the days of Gilligan’s Island and I Dream Of Jeannie after school, with Oreo cookies and a tall glass of milk. Simpler days when I was a kid and didn't have to reflect on these kinds of things. 

My stomach is queasy now. I don’t think it's the China Express buffet. It’s the story. It’s such a happy and sad story at the same time. It captivates us because down deep we know that it’s our story. As I have mentioned several times, it is a horrifying story. But life in a sin-driven world can be very horrifying. The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Boston Marathon bombing, Wisconsin Sikh Temple shooting, Benghazi massacre, Aurora Colorado Movie Theater shooting, a Chicago man kills his bride on their wedding night, Portland Oregon Coffee Shop shooting -- and these are just within the last twelve months. Add to that all the wars of the last two thousand years, and you can’t escape the fact that mankind has a propensity towards violence and destruction and evil and sin. But there is a way out. The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy … but Jesus has come to give life. And perhaps that’s why we keep watching this story. These young ladies got out. Their families thought they were dead, but now … they’re alive. It’s a story that rings true and good and right.