God Still Holds the Pen: Hope in the Middle of Tragedy
Tragedy has always been part of our story. From the beginning of human history to the headlines of today, sorrow, loss, and failure weave their way into every generation. To live in this world is to be touched by grief. We feel it when a loved one is taken from us too soon. We carry it in the quiet, personal ways we have failed and created tragedy for ourselves and others. And we see it when violence shatters the peace of a nation.
This is undoubtedly a season of tragedy for us. Our emotional response to recent events runs the full spectrum — from tears, to sadness, to questions, and, of course, anger. I have received an enormous number of texts, emails, and calls within the last few days asking big questions about evil, about life, about the future, and about whether there is still hope.
I am particularly moved to remind you that there is hope for our story even when the plot includes hurt, pain, and tragedy. I know that underneath the questions and feelings is a familiar ache: the longing for assurance that tragedy is not the way the story ends.
One of the greatest temptations in times of tragedy is to believe that life has spun out of control — that no one is holding the pen behind the plot line, that events are random, and that the world is senseless. But even when we shake our heads at shocking news cycles that shake our hearts, I can assure you that there is yet a Divine Author.
Scripture reminds us of this reality.
“The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all” (Psalm 103:19, NASB).
Why a Story?
God has not abandoned the story of man.
My reference to a “story” is intentional. It is not intended as a light metaphor to minimize the heaviness of national tragedy and loss of life. And I am certainly not trying to soften reality with fairytales—quite the opposite. I’m pointing to the fact that story is the most accurate way to understand our lives, because God Himself is the Author who is writing history. He is creating a narrative that unfolds His eternal purpose. Every beginning, every ending, and every plot twist in between — all are held in His hands.
People who are not believers need to know that life is not random. God is still in control, and history is moving toward His eternal conclusion. And the church needs to remember that we have a special role in God’s story. The Author has written us into the plot, and we are not the losers in the last chapter.
A Good Sudden Turn
One of the greatest storytellers of the modern era was J.R.R. Tolkien, the Oxford professor who gave us The Lord of the Rings trilogy — a story many of you probably first encountered not on the page, but on the big screen. Tolkien didn’t just create fantasy worlds; he thought deeply about why stories matter and how they shape our lives.
In an essay on storytelling, he introduced a word he created: eucatastrophe. He combined the Greek prefix eu-(meaning “good”) with catastrophe (meaning “a sudden turn” or “downfall”). The result was his way of describing the sudden, joyous turn in a story — the moment when all seems lost, despair has the upper hand, and then unexpectedly hope breaks through.
Tolkien believed that every good story carries echoes of sudden joy. But he went further: he said the greatest eucatastrophe in all of history was not fiction at all. It was the Gospel — the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the darkest moment, when evil seemed to have triumphed, the story took a turn toward redemption.
And in this moment of great pain and big questions, I'd like to remind you that since the Gospel is a true story, it gives meaning to every lesser story. Including the chapter we're living out right now. God always turns the story arc toward redemption.
Practical Wisdom for a Dark Chapter
In times of tragedy, we often turn to quick fixes, loud opinions, and endless debates. Social media is full of noise — rants, accusations, and outrage. But let me speak plainly: these things do not heal us. They do not move us forward.
Out of love for you and for our nation, I need to be clear: Stop adding to the noise that only deepens chaos. Stop acting as though we can solve our problems apart from God. Stop calling evil good and good evil. Stop feeding the divisions that already wound us, and stop thinking that cancel culture or virtue signaling are solutions. They are not. They are distractions from the real hope our nation needs — the Author of the story Himself.
And for those of you who are believers, I challenge you to remember how the plot is going to unfold. Do not drift into cynicism or despair. Do not adopt the strategies of the story’s antagonist — bitterness, fear, judgmentalism, or self-righteousness. Instead, trust the Author, lean into the movement of His story, and point others to the hope that the cross and resurrection guarantee.
I know this is hard. But let me remind you again: we are not the losers in the last chapter. The ending has already been written. And this season of sorrow — just like all the rest — will ultimately glorify the God who is both the Beginning and the Ending.
