Hope In Tragedy

I’ve been meaning to write up a blog post for a couple days now. Then of course this tragedy happened yesterday where all those children from Sandy Hook Elementary School in CT were senselessly killed. It was a difficult day for everyone, especially those with kids. I guess it’s heartening to see how much people empathize with the pain of others, perhaps because we think of what our own reaction would be if we were faced with similar circumstances. This kind of self-reflection makes us assess our own lives. We hug the people we love a little tighter and make sure to let them know how much they mean to us. We also face our own mortality as we are once again reminded of how short life can be and how quickly things can change. In just a single moment.

Although I do not personally have children, I have had many children in my life. When you come from a big family there is always someone with tots. For this reason I also grieve with parents at the thought of losing a precious little one. You can’t help but to wonder why someone would wish to cause so much pain and suffering, especially so close to Christmas, a season that is supposed to be joyful. It’s a reminder that evil does exist and seeks to destroy all that is good and pure. But while we can’t change what happened, our hope can be that some good comes out of it in the form of compassion for others and a greater appreciation for our blessings, for tomorrow has no guarantees. Everyday we wake up with air in our lungs is another opportunity to do good and ovecome the darkness. Let that be our focus this Christmastime and everyday after, because it’s the only way we can overcome such loss.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. -Matthew 5:4