(originally posted after 9/11)
So here we are again, faced with another assault on our fellow Americans. What do we do now? What do we do with our outrage, our fear, and our uncertainties? How do we soothe our pain, our concerns and our anger?
I don’t know for sure. But what I do know, is this…..we need more Love.
I heard it said today through the media that, “Beware as we live in a violent world now.” I disagree. We live in a world with violent people. And perhaps we should dissect it even further . We live in a world with people, who at some point in time can be capable of doing violent things.
We listen to reports of the media trying to humanize the family of the shooter around an act that is absolutely inhumane. They have been described as “Loners”. It makes me wonder how ‘alone’ they will feel now. Will we wrap them in our arms and help them through their pain? Or will we shun them as our only way to inadvertently inflict punishment on their son who has hurt so many?
I don’t know for sure. But what I do know, is this…..we need more Love.
Many are questioning God. Why would God allow this to happen? Why would God take the lives of 33 otherwise, good people? It’s important in a time of crisis to remember that Spirit/God has given us free will. We have the ability to make choices. And with choices come responsibility. Spirit/God can not control that. I believe that there will be far more people who reach out to heal and love than the one lone gunman. That is Spirit’s will. As so many search for The Why? I say,
I don’t know for sure. But what I do know, is this…..we need more Love.
The University officials and local law enforcement are under heavy scrutiny right now. “What if?” we ask? All the should’s, all the could have been’s. What if they would have done this? What if they would have done that? What if they put the campus on lockdown and the gunman turned his rage toward the neighboring community? One set of lives certainly not more valuable than the others. What if there was stricter gun control? What if someone gets a hold of a deadly weapon anyway, and their choice and use are deadly destruction…not the weapon?
I don’t know for sure. But what I do know, is this…..we need more Love.
Hindsight always provides us the luxury of time and rational thinking. We can’t expect to impose those conditions in the midst of crisis. Can you imagine the burden on the President of the University at this hour? He now carries the weight of 34 Angels. Yes, even the gunman has a soul. Can you imagine the pain this young man must have been suffering?
I don’t know for sure. But what I do know, is this…..we need more Love.
Many families had students at VA Tech for the purpose of seeking knowledge and understanding. Now, we must do the same. Let’s use the knowledge we gain from this experience to help be better prepared in our future. Let’s seek an understanding. Even if it is acceptance that we can’t possibly understand. But what we do understand is the desire to move forward. It is critical that we feel this experience. We mustn’t become numb to what has become familiar. I heard it said yesterday that, “We must go to bed tonight a bit uncomfortable.”
It is and will be a time of forgiveness for our nation. AGAIN. As always, it does not take away the pain. It does not right an extreme wrong. And yet, for us to know true freedom….we must be free from hate and judgment. Hate and judgment are at the core of this young man’s actions. Even if it’s hate and judgment of himself.
*** This is the lesson for us as parents and the lesson to be passed on to our children. Free ourselves….Because what I do know is this………..we need more Love.
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