Healing
the Hokie Nation
The
massacre at Virginia Tech was a horror, but
tragedy and evil confronts us daily in lesser
numbers. The answer is
Christian lovingkindness.
For
years I’ve joked with Virginia Tech students,
alums, and parents that Tech was a cult. When you
join the cult, you cover yourself in "Tech"
apparel, decorate your home and property,
accessorize your car, and even dress up your dog
in Hokie stuff.
The
shared identity among Hokies is a wonderful sense
of community. It’s a strength. It’ll comfort
as much as human comfort consoles. But, being
"Tech" won’t heal the Hokie Nation.
The
massacre at Virginia Tech is too terrible. It will
never stop being beyond awful. It makes me pause
periodically as I merely write about it. It’s
painful. Wrong. Tragic. Evil.
Virginia,
America and much of the World mourn with the
families and friends of victims – and the
extended family of the Hokie Nation. Now is the
time to grieve. Then, heal.
Set
aside the political issues of gun control vs.
crime control for awhile. There will be plenty of
time later to argue.
Grieving
is the natural expression of lovingkindness.
Lovingkindness is my favorite word in the Holy
Bible. Lovingkindness is the nature of God.
Lovingkindness always triumphs in the human hearts
touched by tragedy. Although, I must say I can’t
see ever healing if I had lost one of my children
in a college classroom.
So,
the anguished questions and accusations to a just
and loving God come readily. Why isn’t this
horror prevented? Why isn’t this horror stopped?
Why aren’t the innocent spared from such
injustice, suffering and loss of life?
Because
evil exists. Evil will exist until the end times
of Earth. Evil can’t be avoided in life – not
completely. Evil exists in God’s permissive
will. Evil is fixed in His explicit will and acts.
Evil deeds can spring from mental illness –
stark madness. The acts remain evil, regardless of
the cause.
Evil
lives around us. It hurts every bit as much – it
just has a lower daily body count.
Look
at what evil has happened in 20 years where I live
– in a wonderful, little town in Virginia.
Once,
two blocks away, a man and woman were divorcing.
The man killed the woman and her new boyfriend.
Once,
two houses away, the sweet "band" kid
wanted to be with the cool kids in his first year
of college. He died of a drug overdose. No one was
ever punished. He came from a devoutly Christian,
loving home.
Once,
an alcoholic father of one of my children’s
friends died young. Only a handful of people
honored his family by sharing his mourning.
Once,
a troubled boy became a troubled young man. He was
imprisoned for what he did in his involvement with
a much older woman. His mother intervened
illegally and was put in jail. He killed himself
in jail.
Many
times, young to middle-aged men went to war zones
where evil thrives.
Many
times, families were broken – with every heart
wounded – by divorce, drugs, alcohol, mental
illness and early, diseased death.
There
were three children who died from accidents and
one who stopped developing as a little girl and
then digressed unto death. None of this pain is
the result of evil, but the suffering and loss are
similar. There are other tragedies from my little
town with people I don’t know by name or sight.
Is
the sum of this pain equal to the 33 deaths at
Tech? I include the killer’s family in the
suffering count. Is this different from the
Hokie Nation?
Virginia and America
suffers from evil as Tech suffers from evil.
We are the Hokie Nation. Our healing is the
same.
There’s been healing,
imperfectly, in my corner of the Commonwealth.
The best medicine for my neighbors is the best
healing for the Hokie Nation.
The healing
comes with the one called The Comforter, the
"paraclete",
in the Holy Ghost. Part of God, Who is
Spirit, is physically present in human beings who
profess faith and have a relationship with the
risen Jesus – the God-in-man who is alive in
Heaven.
The Comforter physically,
emotionally, mentally, and spiritually holds
humans in lovingkindness. A person in this
relationship, a Christian, gains a peace beyond
understanding and a joy that knows now
bounds.
Because Jesus lives, risen
from the grave, we can face tomorrow. His
Comforter helps today. He promises a
tomorrow that never ends in a place with no tears,
where the saved victims of injustice on Earth are
washed in lovingkindness beyond the best on Earth,
even the love of parents, spouse, children, kin
and closest friends.
Grieve.
Mourn. Hate evil. Love God. Love
others. Love yourself. Heal the Hokie
Nation, our American Nation, with the balm that
God will provide. God is good. All the
time. No matter what.
--
April 30, 2007
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