Wednesday, April 18, 2007
TRAGEDY
The events at Virginia Tech College have gripped the nation. I have been quite disturbed also. I keep thinking of all my college friends in several colleges throughout Indiana and in other states as well. I also have been reflecting on all my college-graduate friends, as well as my own daughters long since graduated from their colleges.
I try to imagine my feelings and reactions if I would have heard about such a massacre on one of their college campuses. I can’t begin to imagine what it would be like. I pray I’ll never have to know what that’s like. But I need to try to imagine how I would feel because I want to be able to empathize with the parents and other loved ones, as well as the friends of those slain and injured at Virginia Tech Monday.
As I write this and contemplate Monday’s awful occurrence, in my mind’s eye I am seeing the faces of all my college friends—those already graduated and those still studying at various colleges. I try to pray about the situation but it is hard. I want to pray for the survivors but I also want to thank God that none of my college friends have been killed or injured—then I feel guilty! But I am thankful that none of my college friends have had to experience such a horrific, life-changing tragedy in their lives.
But there is no smugness in my attitude. Who knows where it could happen next? We live in a fallen world. We tend to forget that and wonder why God lets such tragedies happen. It is not God’s will that such things take place. It is because of sin entering the world in the Garden of Eden. Until Christ’s return this world will suffer the consequences of that sin. Yesterday’s tragedy was just one manifestation of that sin in the world. But I take comfort in the knowledge that Christ has overcome the world.
A lot has been said and written, placing blame for Monday’s massacre at Virginia Tech. Other than the fact that the murderous rampage occurred at all, my biggest disappointment is that so many are playing the “blame game”. Everyone points fingers and has all kinds of ideas about what should have been done. What’s that old saying? “Hindsight is 20/20”. Now everyone knows what should have been done!
Yes, we need to evaluate and improve where possible. But what good does just blaming somebody do? I also have empathy for the University of Virginia Tech officials and the Campus and local law enforcement personnel.
It was a terrible situation. I wish we wouldn’t make it worse by everybody blaming everybody else. Work together to do what you can for this situation. Then work together to find ways to better guard against something like that happening in the future—as much as is possible.
God be with the grieving survivors.
JimLabels: TRAGEDY
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