Here are the thoughts that keep coming....
The reporters keep stressing the number of children who were victims. My heart does indeed break for these young lives who were just starting to live, but I can't help but wonder about the others and how it almost seems as though they are less important. Everyone's family is grieving. Loss of life by violence is tragic regardless of age. I keep thinking about the adults who died and thinking they also had a lot left to give the world--their wisdom, their experience, their love, and yes their hope.
I've had several people ask me how I would handle it if one of my children were killed in the church I serve. The short answer is I don't think I could. But I also keep thinking about the other children who were killed and their parents will also have to bury them, mourn them and then figure out a way to continue living. No parent should have to bury a child for any reason no matter what their vocation is. No person should have to bury a loved one because of senseless acts of terror.
I also think about the other clergy in the area. I suspect they will step up, step out and be the pastoral presence for the pastor and his family along with every other family who was impacted and will be impacted by this senseless act of terror. Because that's what people do--they step up, they reach out, the love on another in anyway they can. For the other clergy it will be as pastoral presence, there will also be people cooking and serving in any way they can. Everyone is a part of the body of Christ--their is no hierarchy of importance.
Oh, and I am irate and shaking at the comment, "it wasn't a gun that killed these people, it was mental illness." No, see it was a gun or maybe more than one that was in the hand of someone who may have been mentally ill--and I do believe we need to talk about the issue of guns. But we also need to talk about the issue of mental illness starting with not every person who is mentally ill would do something like this. I'm terrified and furious that we might now be stereotyping the "mentally ill" pushing those among us, some of the most vulnerable, back into the wilderness alone and afraid.
And by the way who gets to decide whose mentally ill? DSM V? News reporters? Family? Therapists? Friends? The President? Seems to me we should leave passing out those labels to the professionals...
I have also heard people saying, "I don't know how God can allow this is His house? Shouldn't we be safe in God's house?" First and hear me loudly, God DID NOT allow this. One man allowed this--one man planned and carried out this execution. And I get the church is called "God's house" but this world is God's world. Every act of violence whether at a church, a school, a movie theater, a concert, a park, a home is an act of violence in God's world--EVERY ONE! And we should be able to be safe anywhere in it--ANYWHERE!
So if you've asked for what I have to say that's it. If you've asked what I'm doing, I'm praying; I'm praying for the victims and their families, for the first responders, for the mentally ill, for the whole community, for the whole world and for the strength to not give into the fear and shelter myself away.
4 comments:
Oh, My heart aches for the pastor as well as the whole community. Here’s hoping he knows that Christ is standing there, holding the box of tissues, holding them all in love
The perpetrator had an AR-15 rifle as his cover FB photo. This is a warning sign as substantial as someone making a verbal threat! It should have been reported, & reportable to the authorities, who need to be trained on responding to warning signs such as this. Anyone thinking this is not a warning sign is not being honest with themselves. It should have been alarming to his FB friends. Have we become so desynthitized to violence that this is acceptable? This should never be.
Certainly I think there is no choice anymore but to change gun laws, despite the NRA, or maybe in spite of them. We need gun owners help to do this. If they don’t bend a little & advocate for laws to change, such as access to automatic weapons, waiting periods for sale & not selling to people with criminal records, mental health records, under age, etc. How can this possibly harm law abiding citizens who choose to own guns? It’s time to put the needs of the many first. This can no longer be a cause for just liberals to champion, but for all citizens, voters, community members, neighbors, etc. I realize it is a multi-pronged problem, but easy access to these kinds of weapons should not be occurring.
It’s also scary. My first reaction after numerous church shootings is “do we now have to start locking our church doors? Scrutinizing who attends? Or is this counter intuitive to our Christian values? Which is the priority?”. I don’t have answers to this moral dilemma...just questions. But I do know if we don’t talk about & negotiate/compromise solutions, it will continue to occur.
We can’t control all incidents of violence, but we don’t have to “set the stage” so to speak and continue to ignore contributing factors to what is fast becoming an epidemic. As a Christian, this is not acceptable.
I am not just afraid. I am angry! I need my fellow community members to speak up & formally verbalize the need for change to OUR politicians & community leaders. Would Jesus have done less?
Well said Nancy!
Wonderful post. I needed these words.
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