Faith with Questions

This morning on Good Morning America they interviewed Steven Curtis Chapman and his family. Chapman has been a prolific and popular Christian music star for probably 20 years. I have sung some of his beautiful songs in church. He lives in Nashville with his 3 children and 3 daughters adopted from China - until last May. When I heard this in May on the radio I really had trouble taking it in. Chapman's oldest son, Will, accidently hit the youngest child, 5 year old Maria with his car in the driveway and she died. They showed video of this precocious and lovely little girl with the family and it was clear they all adored her. How could something that horrific happen to this family? Chapman has spent his life sharing the love of God in his music and his actions. How can Will ever get over this terrible accident? Why would such a loving, happy child be taken so soon?

Obviously there are, once again, no answers to our questions. But what did the family say in the interview? How would their faith survive? How would they explain it to the world? The son, Will says he remembers his brother just holding him as the parents left for the hospital and his father yelling out the window -" Will, your father loves you."

Chapman's wife was very honest when she said, "At first I said , I don't care who is touched by this - I just want Maria back." Steven Curtis Chapman said they are a family that has faith with questions and that they grieve - but with hope. Faith with question, grief with hope - He didn't say it was God's will that a child would die and a family would be devastated because it's not God's will . I thought he said exactly the right thing. None of us has all the answers, but if we did we wouldn't need faith, would we?