In the wake of the Maryville tragedy, we ask ourselves: 'What now?'

While many of us were either in a worship service or preparing to go to one, tragedy was occurring. As I write this column many of the details and motives of the tragedy brought upon First Baptist Church in Maryville, Ill., are still are being sorted out.

Tragedy leaves us with a hollow, empty feeling and beseeches us with two questions that may never be fully answered: why and what now?

Judging by the traffic on the church's website, the Sunday morning shooting has touched many deeply. Violent acts of this nature raise awareness of the human connection, reminding us that we are indeed our brother's keeper. For onlookers the former question of why may come to some conclusion while never fully resolving itself. For those who were witnesses and directly connected, a full resolution may never come. It is the second question that is easier to look at.

What now? Pray. Pray for the family of Pastor Winters -- his wife and his children. Pray for the members of the First Baptist Church of Maryville. Pray for the assailant and his family, as the church directly affected has asked all to do. Pray that all will grieve their loss and that through this tragedy the church will emerge stronger.

What now? Hope. The power of the Christian faith does not rest within the walls of the organized church and her tradition, but in the resurrected Christ. Through Christ there is tremendous hope and freedom in forgiveness. Through Christ there is tremendous hope in life that never ends. There is hope that this life with all its injustice is not all that life is made up of. There is hope of the fully restored eternal life of no tears, sorrow nor mourning.

What now? Live. Yielding to the Christian faith brings about tremendous freedom that has both been abused for self and used to crush others. This is not a new problem for our faith but one that has been on the forefront since the revealing of the messiah.

The writer of Ecclesiastes has observed that good people may suffer and evil people may prosper and it makes no sense.

Life, short or long, can be rich and full when God is placed first. The whys may never fully be answered, but in faith we can step into the answer of what now?

Rob Hurtgen is a husband, father, minister and writer. Read more from him at www.robhurtgen.wordpress.com.