We are never safe. As a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, I was assigned the task of performing my base’s vulnerability assessment in August of 2001. It was thought to be a trivial task because in the post-Cold War era, it was ludicrous to think anyone would attack a target on US soil. There will always be enemies at the gate, disease in our midst, natural disasters coming out of nowhere and embolisms lying dormant in our brains. To assume we can make ourselves safe is folly. To chase after security as our greatest good is idolatry.
We are never alone. Augustine wrote City of God in response to Rome being sacked. Instead of asking why God let that tragedy take place, he thanked God for preserving the survivors. God does not protect us from suffering; God helps us through it. Bonhoeffer said “only a suffering God can help,” and lucky for us, Jesus suffered more than anyone for our sake. I suppose that is why we call it Good Friday; no matter what we are going through, Christ is with us.
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