When tragedies and losses happen, let us resist the notion that God has allowed these things to tell us something.

While it may seem comforting in theory, it suggests that God has to hurt us to get our attention and, because the pain and traumatic experiences happen to some in ways it does not happen to others, it creates additional questions of favoritism and the inevitable "why".

"Why them and not someone else?"
"Why me?"

And though we like to believe it, there is no answer to these questions sufficient enough to understand and compensate for our losses and experiences.

Instead, let us make room for the painful, confusing, beautiful mystery of life. Let us sit with the reality that, sometimes, there are no answers. Yet, even where there are no answers, there is still love.

God's love surrounds us as we navigate every single emotion. The ancestors' love lifts us as look for the strength to keep living. And the love of our community and those we hold dear pushes as we move through each and every day.

God does not have to break our hearts to let us know we are loved and God doesn't have to allow us to experience tremendous grief and sadness to tell us anything. We are God's beloved and we are close to God.

As life does what life does–gives and takes–may we always remember that love is a constant.