Some good news in a world that seems so often consumed by tragedy.  We seem to be whipsawed in our attention back and forth between large scale human events such as North Korea or Syria and the tragedy on the individual scale such as so many women being victims of those who abuse power differential.  Like an onion every layer peels off to reveal only more.  So, at least some good news. 

After three years, Raqqa the de facto capitol of the group called ISIS has fallen.  Innocent civilians cheered as they no longer had to live under the oppressive boot of the evil occupiers.  Drone footage showed block after block of utter devastation and rubble.  We have never seen the aftermath of war like this in such vivid, low-to-the-ground high definition detail.  What is this thing we have done?  How is it that there seems to be no forward progress? 

Men abuse both in Hollywood and in Hawija.  And women and sadly even children fall victim whether by dying on the inside to bury their abuse or in the case of outright war just plain dying.  Men’s dreams and egos leave nothing but a pile of rubble and debris and darkness.  So how is it we are still here? 

Because sin is still sin.  Placing your hope and trust in human progress is a mistake.  We are corrupted and have been for some time.  No culture or society has it figured out because human sin is the one universal among them all.  There is only one answer and he comes not in power or victory or in finally exposing all wrongdoers or in battlefield triumph.  No, he comes to us weak, so weak he can hardly spit out the words, “I thirst.”  So weak he can barely heave one final breath and say, “It is finished.”  A suffering world needs a suffering savior.  And that’s Jesus.

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