Once again evil appears in the form of a serial killer bent on the destruction of innocent people. It is never easy to hear about murders, but for them to be in Church, it is cruelest of all. We want to have a safe place, or think there is a safe place. But evil appears to be taking all our safe places away.
I am left with a helpless feeling, with no explanation and no sense to be made of it.
10 lives are destroyed.....the shooter being one of them. And then the trickle down effect of hundreds of people connected to these 10 whose lives will be forever altered. It all happens in a few short minutes. The time it takes to get a hamburger or watch a commercial, the amount of time you sit at a red light.....10 lives destroyed.
How does it happen? Evil makes people blind, they can no longer see right from wrong, under that circumstance this can happen. Where does evil come from? It usually comes in small doses from many sources. Rarely does anyone get up in the morning and say they want to kill someone. Evil is patient....it whispers, provides articles on hate with the internet providing an amazing avenue, perhaps the influence of friends or maybe organic madness.
I heard discussion on whether or not this was a hate crime. Murder is a hate crime and every victim should be treated accordingly. "Hate crime" seems like an oxymoron. A dear friend went to visit her mother and found her dying in the garage, stabbed by her boyfriend. How would that not be a hate crime?
I grew up in the South with every Wednesday night being a church night. Today, this Thursday morning when I heard of this horrific slaughter my thought was a remembrance of Wednesday night church. And then a spontaneous shudder went over my body.
I don't have enough prayers for the families and friends of these 9 innocent people. I believe over time they will heal because of the faith they have. My prayers are also with the family of the shooter who must live with this for the rest of their lives.
But we must not let evil win. There is a tremendous amount of good in this world, I just got a message on Facebook from friends who are serving a mission in Kenya. They are doing incredible good at a hospital filled with children suffering with leukemia to gunshot wounds to sickle cell to horrible burns. Cindy and Rod are there loving those children.
There is so much good in the world. I refuse to let evil win. Don't you let it either.
