1/08/2006 06:48:00 PM|W|P|Jon Fortt|W|P|Every once in a while life gives us a clear illustration of how hard it is to have faith in a fallen world. Witness the West Virginia mining explosion. It was heartbreaking. Families gathered at a church rejoice, believing their loved ones were saved. Then they learned three hours later that what they believed to be a miracle was in fact just a tragedy. Twelve of thirteen miners were dead. When they heard the news, some of those who had been praising God in the church moments before were reduced to shouting and shoving, according to news reports. Often, God doesn't intervene in the ways we'd like. Natural disasters aren't averted, illnesses aren't cured, people aren't transformed. We want a deity to be something like a Santa Claus or a fairy godmother who, if we're good enough, will grant our wishes. But if we take that perspective as Christians, we're forgetting that God didn't create us and place us here to be the audience for a magic show. He created us for something more. My reading of scripture suggests rather that we are soldiers in a spiritual boot camp, learning to fight with righteousness when reason says flee, and learning to band together when pain would tear us apart. If we are truly allied to the cause of righteousness, we'll keep fighting -- even in the face of devastating losses and doubts. No one can blame the family and friends of the miners for the sharp turn their emotions took when they heard the news. But this illustrates the fragility of our human feelings. I pray that those families will find a faith strong enough to sustain them, and to keep them praising God regardless of what news comes. And I pray that my faith will grow also, to be able to withstand such challenges. Even in the face of devastating losses and doubts.|W|P|113677684350971293|W|P|The West Virginia mining tragedy: a faith challenge|W|P|jon.fortt@gmail.com