Faith & tragedy

In the past couple of weeks, our community has received news of numerous tragedies. Diagnoses and deaths are troubling, despite our faith in God and in the resurrection of the body. One question comes, almost without fail, in the middle of every tragedy: Why? 

The persistence of evil among our belief in a good God is typically framed as the so-called “problem of evil.” When someone proposes a solution to the problem, in theology we call that a “theodicy.” A theodicy is an answer to the question, a way to make sense of a few things we believe: God’s power, God’s goodness, and the tragic. 

I want to offer another perspective. Any “solution” to the “problem of evil,” I think, will end up somewhere we do not want to land. This is because if we say that we know the reason for evil’s existence, we are saying that there is, in fact, a place for evil in the good creation of God. It would be to say that evil is indeed part of God’s plan. 

For instance, take C. S. Lewis’s illustration from his book The Problem of Pain. For Lewis, pain is pedagogy. He uses the example of a puppy who needs training. Naturally, a dog is smelly and rather impolite; but, by training, washing, and teaching – which can involve pain – the trainer can, therefore, love the dog more fully. The puppies may not appreciate the pain that this training involves, but a well-trained, healthy, clean dog can be more fully loved by its trainer. So, for Lewis, pain is necessary for our development as human beings. Pain and moral disorder are rationally integrated within a cosmic moral order ultimately justified by divine goodness. A solution like this is, at one level, certainly attractive. It offers us an answer to give to those who question the goodness of God, especially among tragedy. 

But such an answer is not sufficient. Any solution, including Lewis’s, fails to truly account for the tragic. So much of the tragedy around us simply does not make sense. Real life is far too complicated and messy to fit into neat systems. The tragedies of our world should not be reduced. What if we are simply not capable of giving a reason for evil?

To use a contrary example, our own scriptures offer us plenty of tragedy (the story of Saul, the rape of Dinah, and that particularly horrific narrative of the levite’s concubine in Judges 19, to name a few) that only add to the tension and resisting theological coherence. The Bible does not tell these stories as pieces in a harmonized system; they are told honestly. 

By definition, we are limited beings: we are not self-created, and only in this context is our agency found. Therefore, any form of human action, including intellectual capabilities, are also limited to this constraint. Because we have not created this world and its systems, why should we assume that we have the capability of comprehension and systemization? We should acknowledge our limits and thus avoid cheap justification. Lewis wanted to harmonize tensions between the goodness of God and the existence of evil through reason. But any critical thought which has got everything ironed out – all of the world's most complicated problems solved – is not honest, but illusory; they truncate and reduce the irredeemable features of so much of our suffering. It seems to me that we have the option to avoid the cost of theodicy. Faith must live with tragic tension – occupy it and face it – and not resolve it.

So when we discover that members of our communities are in the middle of the most demanding and direful experiences of their lives, the Christian response is not to harmonize tensions in the language of platitudes (“God has gained another angel”), but to witness to the presence of Christ in the middle of tragedy. In our darkest moments, Christ is closest. In a diagnosis, death, or disaster, Christ is there and grieves with us. He does not offer an explanation, but a promise: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Influences

Dear friends,

I do not believe that I have ever had an original thought. My life is apparently one amalgam of those who have influenced me in one way or another, for better or for worse. So, in the spirit of last week’s post, I would like to continue my introduction by introducing you to a few of those people who have significantly contributed to my sense of self and the world. Here are three in particular.

Thomas Merton (1915-68)

Merton was a Trappist monk in Kentucky and a prolific writer (a darn good one, too). I believe he is most well-known for his bestselling autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain. This makes him the first monk with a bestselling autobiography since St Augustine of Hippo and his Confessions in the fourth century! The Seven Storey Mountain outlines his conversion story in striking, inspiring terms; but his devotional writings, like New Seeds of Contemplation, have affected me the most. I could never get through very many pages in these books in a single sitting, because they really do inspire one to put the book down and go pray.

He died tragically young. This happened in Thailand during a conference, where he was at the forefront of interreligious monastic dialogue. His work in this manner made him a bit of a controversial figure. But chatting with Buddhists was not the only thing that got him in trouble with his own flock: he had much to say about war and social issues, especially around nuclear proliferation. It is most profound for me, as a reader, to see the way that Merton saw other people, and his capability to witness the unlevelled compassion in which God holds his creation. He models the monastic worldview, one drawn away from the world in order to see the world in creative light. Thus, we see in him a careful and sober vision of Jesus Christ within every one of his neighbors.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1781)

Dostoyevsky is, in my humble opinion, the greatest writer to have written. Devils and The Brothers Karamazov, among my favorites, see the human condition with such profound clarity. His work was lauded memorably by Freud, Joyce, Hemingway, Kafka, and Woolf, to name a few. The author himself is very complicated and difficult to get a handle on, and indeed wrote for many years, so it is a rather complex endeavor to find what he himself believed (albeit, in Devils, he does seem to let go a bit and reveal more about his opinions in his old age).

What truly sets Dostoyevsky apart is his honesty. He is apparently utterly unconcerned with smoothing over the difficulties of this life. Many of us struggle with the so-called “problem of evil.” But Dostoyevsky looks that problem in the eye and makes it even more difficult. One sees this so harshly in Karamazov, in which one character, Ivan, describes nauseating stories of the unmotivated killing of infants (which FD himself pulled from real events in the Russian newspapers). Where is God in situations like this? Karamozov seems to be one (very) long answer to the question.

Rowan Williams

Williams was the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, and is a great hero of mine. This Welsh bishop-scholar led the Anglican Communion in perhaps its most turbulent time. He has a vast range of books, from a highly academic book on the early heretic Arius, to his recent, very accessible, Discovering Christianity, which is my favorite book to give to new Christians or those interested in the faith. He even has a number of poetry collections!

Williams has taught me, more than anything else, that God is not a thing that we can possess. God is completely other than the world: God has created the world, and is actively sustaining all life, but God is not another object in the world like you or I. In other words, God and humanity do not occupy the same space. This principle, once it is worked out, carries significant implications for our Christology, our understanding of ourselves, the way we read the Bible, and, indeed, our political convictions.

These three writers have meant much to me in the last years. They have been my mentors. I would love to hear about your mentors. I believe God puts certain people in our lives, either physically or literarily, for the sake of our growth and progression in the spiritual life. Whose writings do you cherish the most? Who are your mentors? Find me at church (or write me) and tell me about the people who have influenced the way you have become who you are today.

-Micah

Please allow me to introduce myself...

Friends,

I would like to take this unique opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Micah Brown, and I am a summer intern at St Luke’s. Though, I plan to stick around after the internship. I am originally from Oregon, but live in Alexandria with my wife, Dewey, and our dog, Ginny. I am heading into my final year of seminary.

My role at St Luke’s is not only an intern. Dewey and I consider St Luke’s our home church. God-willing and the people consenting, Bishop Stevenson will ordain me in the spring, and Fr Nick is my presenting priest for ordination. It is a great privilege to be back at St Luke’s – back home; we are slowly settling back in, with things like the Block Party and Supper Club. But the church is just as welcoming as it was when we left it, so it has been all too easy to settle back in.

Like many of you, I did not grow up in the Episcopal Church. I was raised a child of two Pentecostal youth pastors. I discovered the Anglican tradition while I was in college, where I was studying for a Bachelor of Theology with an emphasis in biblical studies. I'm very interested in theological studies and the biblical languages. (I am currently writing my masters thesis on biblical interpretation.) I also love youth group. But I've learned the hard way that these often don't mix well. I found that middle schoolers, especially, are typically asleep before I can say "theologically.”

On a slightly more interesting note, I very much enjoy English literature (Dickens especially) and some Russian literature (Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy), though I don't know Russian so I am bound to the translations. My favorite book is The Brothers Karamazov, but a close second is The Spiritual Letters of Abbot John Chapman, which has had an enormous influence on my prayer life. I also love music. John Mayer and Bob Dylan are most common, especially for their guitar playing. I’ve played the guitar for many years, and have recently begun learning the banjo. I always love to watch a new movie, but some of my frequent replays are Happy Gilmore, The Imitation Game, and The Departed. My favorite food is a croissant. (Especially those with chocolate in the middle!)

I hope to get to know you all more very soon. If you resonate (or, indeed, strongly disagree!) with any of my preferences in this introduction, please do come say hi and have a chat. Many of you already have. I am continually impressed by how welcoming our parish is.

In the gospel this Sunday, we will hear some words from Jesus that should encourage you all. He says to his disciples, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” St Luke’s has created a culture of welcome. This church family is taking seriously that New Testament imperative, so that strangers – no matter how strange – are offered a new vision of a loving humanity, one so different from a vision offered outside the walls of the church. Hospitality is a particular gift of yours. Hospitality, philoxenia in the New Testament, means literally “love of the stranger.” Linguistically, it is precisely the opposite of “xenophobia” (“fear of the stranger).

I am excited to get to know our inspiringly hospitable community better this summer (and beyond!). Thank you for being so faithful to that New Testament description of Christian community, one that takes Jesus at his word when he says, simply: “​​everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Thank you for extending that love to Dewey and I for two years now. I look forward to learning this hospitality from you all this summer.

-Micah

What We Really Can’t Live Without

Friends,

Despite what many may suspect, I like routine. The boys get me up between 6:10 and 6:30 am. Andy gets himself dressed while I help Theo. While I take care of the dogs and lunches, they are allowed to have screen time. Andy defaults to Minecraft and Theo loves to watch videos of trains. Not like Thomas the Tank Engine, just amateur videos of real trains going by. After I am down with my chores, we watch two episodes of Bluey. About every other morning at least one episode makes me teary. After Bluey is breakfast time. Andy is on a frosted flakes kick, while Theo likes toast with chocolate spread and scrambled eggs. Generally, by then, it is my turn to get ready, and we leave as soon as I come down.

Yesterday morning the internet pooped out on us. It’s never happened before, except in power outages, and it’s supposed to get fixed today, so not a big deal. We have horrible cell reception at our house, so for just over 24 hours we will not have any internet at our home. Last night wasn’t bad. We read lots of Harry Potter to Andy, which was a popular idea, but this morning was a whole different story. It turns out they like routine as well and took it as a personal attack when I told them they couldn’t do their normal activities in the morning. To convince them that this was not just me being mean by showing them failed loading screens did little to assuage their rage. Where reason failed, time succeeded. After a few minutes of freaking out, everyone calmed down over breakfast. They had to entertain themselves while I took care of the dogs, and then we went to the basement to find our new way of doing mornings.

I love Bluey and have no regrets watching this amazing show with my kids most mornings, but what we did instead was nice too. Andy has a little work bench in my work room, and he worked on a Lego set he got for his birthday months ago.  Theo found a Magnatile train, which to my knowledge was completely neglected up to this point. Every ten seconds I was called over to “help”, and between these summonses, I cleaned up a storage closet we’ve been stuffing things into for a few months. For about an hour we went about our business until it was time to get ready to go. We chatted and offered feedback on each other’s labors. It was wholesome and relaxing in a productive sort of way.

I earnestly hope our internet is restored today, but I think we are going to start screenless Tuesdays just to shake things up on a more regular basis. Regardless of whether the internet going out was part of a divine plan or just coincidence, I have a couple of important takeaways.

The first is to be skeptical of the things that you think you cannot live without. Routine is great, but you don’t need it. When the wealthy young man came to Jesus seeking righteousness, Jesus ultimately told him to give up everything he had and follow him, and he departs the narrative grieving because of how much he owned. It was his attachment to his wealth that prevented him from following our savior. Wealth is often a culprit when it comes to idolatry, but we put all sorts of things above loving God and loving our neighbor. Shake things up. Turn off that phone. Avoid gossiping. Make amends.

My second takeaway is a suspicion that I’ve had for a while, the Amish have it right when it comes to labor. They shun technology partially because it drives a wedge between individuals and their community. You need a community to raise a barn, not just heavy equipment. The boys and I weren’t even working on the same thing but just being together turned the whole thing into a bonding experience. This Saturday, you have a chance you bond with other members of the Church by helping us clean up the grounds and parish hall from 9:00 am to noon. I hope we get things done, but more importantly I hope you chat with the person who is helping you weed the garden. I like nice things, but they are all for nought if they don’t bring us together.

I hope to see you this weekend and thank you for being the Church!

Blessings,

Nick

You Got This

Friends,

It is an incredibly good and interesting time to be a Christian, especially here at St. Luke’s.

The twenty-four-hour news cycle and doom scrolling social media lends itself to outrage. Outrage keeps you watching through the commercial break to see what happens next, as if we were constantly living on the cusp of life’s cliff hanger. Well don’t you know it, increasingly every day there seems to be an actual cliff hanger that threatens to suddenly end the world that we rely on, and it is often juxtaposed with something bizarre and seemingly written by a freshmen creative writing student. The bizarre bits would be funny and genuinely controversial, but before you have time to google what they are talking about, something truly scary happens, and then you put down your phone and go fold laundry. Your kids need clean clothes, this is something you can control, so you put everything into the chore.

This is such a good time to be a Christian, because we are not afforded the luxuries of numbing out through cynicism, or of having enemies. We are called to care. Yes, occasionally dip into cynicism if you must, but don’t stay there too long or you’ll get stuck. When you have the strength, know that God is calling you to engage and listen. Engaging doesn’t mean scrolling social media or watching the news for hours on end. Let your research be focused. Read the Associated Press or Reuters. Have conversations with people you respect, or people that disagree with you. Better yet, try to find people who fit both categories.

When you find your enemies, love them, because your salvation is intertwined with theirs’. Be honest and always err on the side of compassion and always be ready to meet hate with love. Not heart emojis. Real love. We’ll likely not be gifted with many opportunities to show genuine love to our enemies, so make it count. And please, do not mistake loving and engaging with those you think are your enemies with nagging. If you make them feel small, they will run further away.

Keep in mind, I am writing this not because I am an expert, but because this is what I am actively working on. I try, and I fail, and I am trying to be done with seeing this as a burden. This is very much what we are called to do as followers of Jesus, and as the whole world is trying to rediscover what it is to be in community, we are right here on the corner of Wellington and Fort Hunt getting ready for life.

When I feel down, I fold laundry, mow the lawn or play with my kids. In the midst of a shifting world order, we still go about the business of doing life, because we have no other choice.

So, here is the life that is happening at St. Luke’s:

When you read this Sue Bentley will officially be retired as our parish administrator. She has been doing this work for eleven years and has been so much to so many people on the best and worst days of their lives. She is going to begin her retirement by joining us for the annual BBQ which will be this Saturday at 11:00 and by going to all morning worship with us on Sunday. We’ll have a food truck and a reception for Sue after the 10:00 am service. I encourage you to come.

Rachel DeMarco is our new parish administer! While she has hit the ground running and is knocking out tasks left and right, keep in mind she is still being on boarded. If you can wait on that one thing until a couple of weeks from now, please do so. We’ll send out a bio and more about her position in the future.

LeighAnn Kephart will be joining us for the next six months as our “New Ministry Coordinator”! I asked for funds from the endowment to seed new ministries, and LeighAnn will be leading the charge on these new ministries. The most ambitious new ministry will be a parents’ morning out program which we plan to debut in the fall. She will also be working with other members of the Church with getting any new ministry off the ground such as a supper club, lady’s mahjong, and the running club.

It is an incredibly interesting and exciting time to be a Christian, especially at St. Luke’s. Every day we are called to not have our souls be dominated by the legion of voices in the world that lead us away from that deep well of life and love that God has granted us, and sometimes that can be a challenge. Take a beat and come and be with us. Embrace the sadness of saying goodbye, and the excitement of welcoming new leaders in the Church.  Take a risk and trust that grace and mercy abound.

Blessings,

Nick

Love

Friends,

In lieu of my normal devotion, I thought I would give you some bits of important news, and the text of an especially good devotion that was offered by James Reily at the beginning of the last vestry meeting.

-Nick

Farewell Kyle Munroe

Kyle Munroe is a student at Virginia Theological Seminary and as the school year comes to end, so does his time with us! This is his last Sunday, and we will have some parting gifts for him. Kyle has been incredibly faithful and devoted to St. Luke’s. He has a strong drive to do effective ministry, and his earnest approach gives me hope in the future of the Church. I encourage you to come this Sunday so you can thank him for his selfless ministry!

(Almost) Farewell to Sue Bentley

Sue has been our Parish Administrator for eleven years, and she is retiring effective April 30th! We are going to celebrate her ministry on Sunday May 3rd at the morning services and then at a reception following the 10:00 am service. Sue has been my go-to expert on all things St. Luke’s since I arrived, and it will feel bizarre without her here!  We will hire a replacement for the admin position very soon. We are re-structuring the staff, and the new admin will have a different job description, but they will still function as the central nervous system of the congregation. Everything is in transition right now, and I would like to humbly suggest that you leave non-urgent matters for the new admin once they get spun-up, and to focus and expressing your gratitude for Sue’s amazing ministry!

New Ministry Coordinator

Did you know that we have an endowment at St. Luke’s? It is an incredible gift, and when it was set up, it was stipulated that it could only be spent on very specific things, one of them being starting new ministries. There is so much potential to grow the ministries of St. Luke’s, and we have many great ideas floating around and very little time to make them happen. I approached the endowment committee, proposed an idea, and I am thrilled it is coming to fruition. Using funds from the endowment we going to hire a temporary employee who will work thirty hours a week for six months, and their only job will be to get new ministries off the ground. The largest project will be a parent’s morning out program that we hope to have running by late summer or early fall. Standby for more information soon!

Junior Warden, James Reily’s Devotion from the Vestry Meeting on April 19, 2026

Last Friday the astronauts from Artemis II splashed down after the historic trip around the moon that started with a launch some of you may have watched live during our final Lenten burger night.

This trip mirrored one taken by Apollo 8 astronauts in 1968 an incredibly tumultuous year in our history. That was the year of the funeral for Robert F Kennedy, the assassination of Marting Luther King Jr. the nomination of Richard Nixon by the GOP as their next presidential candidate. That was also the year of the Tet Offensive, the lowest point of the Vietnam War, the year that Walter Cronkite told us the war was unwinnable. 

In contrast, the message from the astronauts that year was overwhelmingly positive. In the face of humanity's (indeed all of earth's) seeming insignificance compared with the void of space, they turned to their religious tradition and love. This type of feeling among astronauts, as their perspective ascends literally and figuratively above the day-to-day squabbles of earth, is so prevalent it has a name: "the overview effect."

Just last week during that Artemis mission we saw an example of this. One of the Artemis astronauts, Victor Glover's statement shares this perspective. As they rounded the backside of the moon and it was about to cover all things important to him and indeed all of us; the site of all empires, nations, discoveries, tragedies, celebrations, victories, defeats, lives, and deaths of all humans ever save his three crewmates he stated, "Thank you to all of you for allowing us the immense privilege to be on this journey together; it's quite amazing... as we continue to unlock the mysteries of the cosmos, I would like to remind you of one of the most important mysteries there on Earth, and that is love. Christ said, in response to what was the greatest command, that it was to love God with all that you are, and he also, being a great teacher, said the second is equal to it and that is 'to love your neighbor as yourself.' And so, as we prepare to go out of radio communication, we're still going to feel your love from Earth and to all of you down there on Earth and around Earth, we love you, from the Moon."

While I don't think I will ever experience the overview effect for myself, I think we all experience the same result of that effect at our most precious moments here at St. Lukes, namely love for our creator, love for our fellow men and women. And that is why we serve on the vestry and do the other things to make this place what it is, to nurture the seed growing in this Parish, in this community. To love the lord God and to love one another as ourselves.