14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
- Matthew 19:14 (NIV)
The tragedy in CT this weekend has no doubt had an effect on us all in one form or the other. My heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones. When tragedy involves the lives of children, it is always heart-wrenching. As the news story began to unfold on Friday, as a nation, we were all watching. This was one of the biggest tragedies of my generation's time. I could spend this blog post going into my theories on why I feel my generation behaves the way they do, or I could talk about my stance on gun control, but today, I will do neither. Today I want to talk about something far more important, the grace of God. I know that by writing about religious matters, I will likely lose some of my readership, that's okay. Your eternity is more important to me than the $0.33 I made off of my advertisements last month.
I am not a "doomsday-prepper" or a believer in the Mayan doomsday next week, but I do believe the end is near. As I look around me at the news stories that are only getting worse each day, I can't help but wonder how long God will allow this to continue. It is for this reason that I write today.
I believe that the children that were lost in Friday's shooting are in a better place. I know that it doesn't make it easier, but it does provide some level of comfort. I do not have children, and honestly, events such as this makes me a little hesitant to start a family, but I do believe there is a greater purpose and in ALL things, God is sovereign.
I work for a university that suffered a shooting on February 12, 2010. That day, my life changed forever. In our case, the shooter was a faculty member and she opened fire in a staff meeting. I remember it was a very cold Friday morning and we were preparing for an event for incoming students. It was snowing, it never snows in Alabama. I remember the feeling of betrayal even though I did not have a personal relationship with the shooter. It was a betrayal of my "safe zone." Before that day, news stories about shootings didn't resonate with me the way they do now. I always thought "it can't happen here, it's not like that in my town, at my school, at my workplace." Still, almost three years later, my heart skips a beat when I hear a siren on campus.
It can happen anywhere and unfortunately, it will happen again. It will happen again because we live in a sin ridden world, but don't give up hope. There is good news.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life."
John 3:16
This world is not the end, it is only the beginning. If you do not know the God that I speak of, the God that gives hope to a fallen world, I encourage you to check out this link to read about this God that loves you, that sent His son to die for you, and gives eternal hope.
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
2 Peter 3:8-9
In Christ,
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