Through it Together
Preacher: The Rev. Andrew Van Kirk
Scripture: Luke 10:25-37
Tragedy doesn’t follow rules. It arrives like a thief—unexpected, unfair, and uninvited. And when it does, our first instinct is to ask why. But the gospel doesn’t always answer that question. Instead, it tells us how to live in a world where tragedy simply is.
Jesus never promised a way around sorrow. He promised a way through it—together.
When someone is wounded by life—robbed by grief, stripped by fear, left alone in despair—the question isn’t “What do I owe?” It’s “What can I give?” Not “Who qualifies as my neighbor?” but “Who needs mercy right now?”
God’s love does not run on merit. It moves toward pain. It kneels at the side of the road. It binds wounds without asking how they got there. And the miracle is this: every time we show compassion, we do more than help another—we meet Christ himself.
We are not built to survive tragedy alone. But we are built to carry one another, with mercy at the center and Christ as our guide.
Reflection Questions
Where have you experienced the quiet ministry of someone simply showing up for you?
What keeps you from acting in love when you see someone hurting?
Is there someone nearby whose pain you’ve walked past—maybe because it felt too big, or not your responsibility?
What would it look like this week to live as if every wounded person you meet could be Christ in disguise?
How can your love today make someone’s road a little less lonely?
