(June 11, 2007)
It is the best of times. It is the worst of times.
The Spring Valley I know and love is a lovely, peaceful place. Our home sits nestled on the westward slope of what I have named “Jenkins Hill” in Spring Valley, overlooking Sweetwater Reservoir. Our family room window provides us “million dollar” vistas where we can see for miles. On a clear day, we can see the Pacific Ocean and spectacular sunsets. Mostly we see beautiful birds, Anita’s immaculate flower garden, airplanes gently gliding into Lindbergh Field, “night lights” in the communities below us, and people, like ants in an ant farm, going about their daily lives. Our “Pointe at Highland Ranch” neighbors live in beautiful homes. Most have professional degrees and earn six-figure salaries. Life in our part of Spring Valley is a sequence of daily blessings.
There is another side to Spring Valley. This week, the headlines reported a young woman’s apparent murder by an alleged sex offender who lives on that other side of Spring Valley. It is an all too familiar story, one that seems to be played out weekly across our nation. But it is troubling when such brutality strikes literally so close to home.
As Anita and I left for church on Sunday, we could see volunteers searching for the young woman’s missing body. Ironically, the sermon yesterday focused on the widow at Nain whose son died. Jesus compassionately brought him back to life, illustrating his power over both life and death, good and evil. Our prayers go out to the family of this young woman who must be going through the worst agony one may imagine.
Spring Valley is not the only “city with two tales”. Every community, including La Jolla, Coronado, and Del Mar (where many seek to isolate themselves from the dark side of evil) has both good and evil living within its borders. No matter what the demographics of our zip code, we may run from the consequence of evil, but we can never escape it.
Since the Garden of Eden, God has allowed good and evil to live side by side; illustrated by the Tree of the Knowledge of “Good and Evil” in the Garden’s center. Ever since, some chose the knowledge of good, while others chose the knowledge of evil.
It does us little good to debate WHY bad exists among the good in God’s creation; or why bad things happen to good people. But it is reassuring to know that in God’s justice, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil of Genesis will be replaced by the Tree of LIFE of Revelation. And one day, the dead in Christ will rise up, like the widow of Nain’s son.
From the Quote Garden
“Jesus broke up every funeral he ever attended, including his own.”
~ Dr. Clyde T. Francisco
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