Is there a biblical response to tragedy and trauma?

Trauma - a stressful or disturbing experience that injures your emotions, sometimes long-term.

Tragedy - an event that caused suffering, destruction or distress

When tragedy or trauma lingers, linger with the Lord.

John 11:1–16 ESV

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Look at verses 3-5. Lazarus became so sick, that he had no strength and couldn’t move. If somebody in your family was that sick, you might go to the emergency room. Because of their genuine friendship with Jesus, his sisters sent a messenger, “he whom you love is ill.” Sometimes, people recover from their illness. Other times, they do not. The result of the illness does not equal the amount of the love the Lord has for an individual or his/her family members.

Look at verses 6-7. Lazarus was sick, weak and couldn’t move. Jesus knew the severity of Lazarus’ illness and he stayed where he was for two days. Sometimes, the Lord doesn’t move at our pace. The speed that we feel the Lord moving during trauma or tragedy never indicates abandonment. Sadness and a hurting heart can leave us feeling alone. How well we have lingered with the Lord in the past will sustain our hurting hearts in the present. Feeling alone tries to convince us that we are alone. If we are looking for God’s glory to be revealed, it’s likely we will see the Lord’s steps moving at the right pace.

Did you know it takes 8 minutes to cook a pork chop in a pan on the stove? If you put the same pork chop in a smoker, it takes much longer to be ready and it has so much more flavor.

Moving ahead of the Lord’s pace might get the job done, but it won’t taste as good.

Look at verses 11-15. Sometimes, the Lord’s restoration plan is different than mine. The result of tragedy and trauma never means the Lord stopped caring. Lazarus died and Jesus’ restoration plan provided an opportunity for their belief to deepen.

When tragedy or trauma lingers, surround yourself with the body of Christ.

John 11:17–20 ESV

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.

We need to put the entire picture on a canvas.

When tragedy or trauma lingers, be real with God about your emotions and your hurting heart.

John 11:21–22 ESV

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

John 11:32 ESV

Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Jesus looked straight at tragedy and trauma. He knows the fear, the loneliness and the hurt they bring. He walked that road, so we could be comforted.

When tragedy or trauma lingers, give yourself permission to mourn.

John 11:33–35 ESV

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept.

When tragedy or trauma lingers, trust the Lord will reveal his glory in your life.

John 11:38–44 ESV

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Jesus took a situation that was considered dead and unrecoverable - He gave it life!