God's Love Never Quits

Do you remember where you were?  This is a question often asked in reflection of the significant events of life that draw us together in community.  The question has often been asked in response to the events of this day, fifty years ago.  November 22, 1963 is a date that calls us to remember one of the darkest days in our nation's history, the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. 

 

The images and emotions of catastrophic events often remain with us, sometimes just below the surface until quickly called to mind by a similar tragedy, conversation with a friend, or calendar observance.  I was a first grader at Glenwood Elementary School in Evansville, Indiana on this date fifty years ago. I remember the announcement over the classroom speaker, the heaviness of the rest of the school day, then watching with family over the next few days the observances that followed.  I still remember certain images from that time, certain music that was played, poignant moments of a family and nation devastated by so senseless and violent a crime.  Before the decade was out, the nation would mourn again and again in the aftermath of assassination.

 

Fifty years removed from that terrible day, I am coming to realize more and more that the tragedies of life mark us in ways that are not forgotten.  We speak of time as a great healer and indeed, the passing days and years ease the degree of pain we feel in loss. And yet, as today reminds us, the wounds of our past still at times capture our hearts and trouble our spirits.  Since November 22, 1963, there have been many tragic and senseless events that have had an impact on our nation and world.  Anger, frustration, resignation, discouragement are reasonable responses to such things. Yet to remain captive in their embrace is to give in to the darkness they create. 

 

This morning, I have been reading the 136th Psalm. It is a testimony about God's persistent faithfulness in the midst of life's threats.  It is that persistent faithfulness that offers hope in the midst of what often seems to be hopeless.  In verses 23-26, the Psalmist writes, "God remembered us when we were down, His love never quits. Rescued us from the trampling boot,  His love never quits. Takes care of everyone in time of need. His love never quits. Thank God, who did it all!  His love never quits!" (Message) 

 

As you remember where you were, whether it was November 22, 1963, another date of national tragedy, or one of a more personal nature, as those memories and the fresh reflection of their impact then and now are called to mind, remember the words of the Psalmist and find hope...God's love never quits.

 

Jim Abernathy