Emmanuel means God with us—in our schools, in our suffering and in everything else.
There are times when it feels like the promises contained in Scripture mock us—moments when the words intended to bring us comfort seem remote, detached and distant. Friday morning in Newtown, Conn., was one of those times.
On Friday afternoon, I stood outside my children’s elementary school with hundreds of other parents. In the midst of small talk about what we were doing for Christmas break, there was a somber heaviness. On that day the world witnessed unspeakable evil juxtaposed with the season of Advent.