May 7, 2008

Because of the horrifying tragedy in Myanmar (rescue officials think the death toll may climb as high as 100,000), many of us will probably want to lead our congregations through difficult issues like pain and suffering. We've gathered a few illustrations and tagged them as "Free" for the next 30 days to help you in your preaching. Most of these stories come from past tragedies—the tsunami that killed over 400,000 people, Hurricane Katrina, the attacks at Virginia Tech—and obviously speak to the heart of what we're watching unfold in Myanmar.

Philip Yancey is a master at helping us reflect on pain and suffering. Here are two samples from his writing that emerged from the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy: Yancey on God's Redemptive Work and Yancey Puts Pain in Perspective

Peter J. Kreeft offers the only real answer to suffering.

Here's an interesting story about finding God in unexpected places - even in the midst of tragedy.

Here's a powerful quote about Jesus from someone standing in the midst of the ruins of Katrina,

Tragedies are often a moment where people take notice of the beauty of a church who responds with the love of Christ. The difficulty the chruch faces in the Myanmar tragedy is that the Burmese goverment isn't allowing much good will into the country. Nonetheless, we'll see what doors God can open and what witness we might have as believers. Take a look at these illustrations as examples: Atheist Admires Christian Service After Hurricane Katrina, Couple Ministers to Victims of Hurricane Katrina, and Humanitarian Aid Changes Muslim Minds

Here’s a story of how helping victims of the tsunami changes one person's life.

Did you hear about the Senator last year who sued God for allowing tragedies? Here's the story, with an intriguing question to consider.