Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Where were angels?


I ride the bus to work from Elkhorn to Hailey five days a week. I try to use the time to reflect upon all the things I have to be thankful for. A few days ago one of Mountain Rides' fine drivers gave me something to really reflect upon!

He had just heard about the Christmas Day tragedy on the road to Magic Reservoir, and said, "I don't know about you, but I think God has got to do a better job of stopping stupid people from having kids." As he related the story I began to think how terrible freedom can be. One man's dysfunctional and deadly choice led to the loss of a child's life, and permanent injury to a family and community.

Later in the day I attended the funeral of a co-worker's husband, who had used his freedom to create a fifty-year marriage of blessing rather than terror.

Two men. Two drastically different outcomes.

As a certifiable backslider, I try not to judge God or my fellow human beings. And, there is nothing that I can say about either that has not already been said by saints, scoffers or masterpiece writers. But I do have problems understanding how people can talk about "guardian angels" when two kids failed to be guarded on Christmas Day.

I have no interest in putting God in the dock, as C.S. Lewis would say, and the accused father must surely be in his own private hell. So what does it all mean? It's all very confusing and disturbing.

And yet, by the time the bus reached Hailey that morning, I was sure of one thing. Our freedom can bring caring or terror. I don't know about you, and I don't know about God and the angels, but I have to believe human beings can do a better job.

Michael Ayers

Ketchum




 Local Weather 
Search archives:


Copyright © 2024 Express Publishing Inc.   Terms of Use   Privacy Policy
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.