« Handel’s Messiah: A Closer Look | Home | Resources for Thinking About Suffering and Evil »
How Do We Respond to the Tragedy at Virginia Tech?
By Mark D. Roberts | Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
How do we respond to the unbearably tragic crisis at Virginia Tech? There are no simple answers. Our first responses are visceral: shock, horror, sadness, fear, grief. Thank God we aren’t immune to evil in such a way that we no longer feel such revulsion and pain.
As a person of faith, part of me wants to run to God to demand an accounting for such evil. There is a place for this conversation, to be sure, but I believe we should begin by praying for those whose lives have been ripped to shreds by this tragedy. I’m thinking mostly of families and friends of the dead. We must also pray for the healing of the wounded, for all who are connnected to Virginia Tech.
Though I’m not surprised, I’m grieved once again by the tendency of some to use such a crisis for personal or political advantage. Predictably, both sides of the gun lobby were quickly using this tragedy to argue for or against gun ownership. This is an important debate, to be sure, and one we must have as a nation. But, in my opinion, now is not the time for punditry, but for prayer.
There is a place, I think, for thoughtful and sensitive reflection on the implications of the Virginia Tech tragedy. Newsweek’s “On Faith” website asks its contributors: “How does your faith tradition explain (and respond to) senseless tragedies such as the Virginia Tech shootings?” As usual, there are a variety of answers from a wide range of religious (and non-religious) perspectives. I have found the following submissions to be particularly wise:
“God With Us, Grieving,” by N. T. Wright;
“God of Hope and Healing” by Chuck Colson;
“Facing the Reality of Evil” by Albert Mohler, Jr.,
“God Cares. God Loves. We Choose” by Bishop Desmond Tutu
Here’s my prayer for today:
God of love and justice, our hearts are stunned today by the horrifying events at Virginia Tech. We struggle even to know how to pray. Yet we ask You, above all, to let Your gracious presence be known to all who suffer this day, especially the families and friends of those who have died. Grant them Your peace that passes all understanding.
Help us, dear Lord, to learn what we must learn from this crisis. Give us hearts open to You. Keep us from using the pain of others to manipulate or callously advance our personal agendas. Help us to listen to each other, and most of all to You.
Thank You for being a God who is not watching us from a distance. Thank You for entering into the pain and sorrow of this broken world. Thank You for being present with us when we suffer. Thank You for giving us hope when all seems hopeless, through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Topics: Suffering and Evil |
3 Responses to “How Do We Respond to the Tragedy at Virginia Tech?”
Comments
Thanks for your willingness to make a comment. Note: I do not moderate comments before they are posted, though they are automatically screened for profanities, spam, etc., and sometimes the screening program holds comments for moderation even though they're not offensive. I encourage open dialogue and serious disagreement, and am always willing to learn from my mistakes. I will not delete comments unless they are extraordinarily rude or irrelevant to the topic at hand. You do need to login in order to make a comment, because this cuts down on spam. You are free to use a nickname if you wish. Finally, I will eventually read all comments, but I don't have the time to respond to them on a consistent basis because I've got a few other demands on my time, like my "day job," my family, sleep, etc.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
April 17th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
[…] HT: Dr. Mark Roberts […]
April 20th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
Thank you for helping. I am praying, like all, for the victims, but also, the killer and his familly. We are not in control. God is. We need to heed, learn and be patient. Strength is shared.
April 21st, 2007 at 10:58 am
The killer’s family, in their statement, shows deep sorrow as well as confusion. They certainly do need our prayers. Thanks, Vicky.