Tragedy in Lapu-Lapu Festival in Vancouver

Luke 7:11–16 GNT

11 Soon afterward Jesus went to a town named Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd. 12 Just as he arrived at the gate of the town, a funeral procession was coming out. The dead man was the only son of a woman who was a widow, and a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart was filled with pity for her, and he said to her, “Don't cry.” 14 Then he walked over and touched the coffin, and the men carrying it stopped. Jesus said, “Young man! Get up, I tell you!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

16 They all were filled with fear and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said; “God has come to save his people!”

This story in the Gospel is fascinating because it creates a lot of questions for modern thinkers. How did the son die? If Jesus can raise a dead person to life, why didn’t he do it to others? After Jesus raised this person from the dead, what happened to him? Who are these unnamed people?

The Gospel story was actually silent about these details, and we do not have the time now to answer all these questions.

Perhaps, a more productive reading of this story is to see how Jesus responded to the sorrow and suffering of a widow who just lost her only son and how the people reacted after seeing the power of Jesus.

When Jesus saw the funeral and the widow, he felt compassion for the woman who lost not only her husband, but now her son. It’s a devastating situation. To lose a husband is already difficult, but to lose your only son, there is no word for that. In a male-centered society, it could mean that the woman has lost everything.

Jesus must have seen the despair among the people. He was so moved that he cannot prevent himself from ministering to them. When Jesus touched the coffin, it was a symbolic gesture of solidarity to people’s experience of death. But when Jesus touched the dead, it resulted in a miracle of life.

When the people saw this, they reacted in fear, but they also praised God. Perhaps, this shows the mixed emotions of people when confronted by the reality of death, while on the other hand, they see the power of God to give life.

Like in the time of Jesus, we are also facing an unspeakable and heartbreaking death of people. We do not know their names but we feel their suffering and pain.

In this time of sorrow and darkness, we might be tempted to react and respond in the same horrific way.

But it is not the time to be overcome by fear or hate for the person behind the horrible attack.

We should not allow our grief and loss lead us to doing things that will lead to further harm and violence to our neighbors or kapwa-tao (fellow human beings).

Rather, this is the time for us to demonstrate our strength and solidarity as a community.

This is a time for us to stand together as a people to comfort those who are grieving and uplift the spirits of one another especially in this trying time.

This is a moment for us to show our humanity through empathy. 

Apparently, now is the time for us to mourn the loss and feel the pain of our neighbors. And while we process our collective grief, let us also help in facilitating healing and seeking ways to prevent this terrible incident from happening again.

Let us offer our prayers for comfort, peace, and strength to the families who are devastated by the loss of their loved ones. 

Together, let us pray that this awful event will not dampen our resolve to build better and safer communities, not just for ourselves but for everybody, because this tragedy could happen to anyone regardless of their age, gender, race, or ethnicity.

We deeply appreciate those who offered their care and support to the Filipinos in this difficult time. Thank you for making us feel that we are not alone.

Indeed, this is the time for us to reflect on our common humanity, and as we search for answers let us look to Jesus as our light in this moment of darkness. May his spirit and wisdom enlighten us so we can see the way that leads to life. 

Let us remember how our Lord shared our humanity, he was also vulnerable and he experienced loss, he suffered pain, and even sacrificed his life for sinners like us. But his death is temporary. Death did not have the final word. We know that he lives again, and he promised that those who believe in him will no longer be defeated by death. Rather, they will live with him eternally. That is our source of security, peace, and hope especially in this troubled time.

In light of this, may I invite you to say a word of prayer with me.

Our loving heavenly Father, in the midst of grief and loss we seek your presence.

Grant us the strength to deeply feel the pain of others and be able to offer them your comfort and strength in this difficult time. We ask for the peace that surpasses understanding and the love of Christ that is never-ending. In this moment of darkness help us to see the light in Jesus. The light that leads to life. Heal our brokenness and make us whole. Free us from the power of sin, suffering, and death. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.