Who Could've Made a Difference?

So many senseless acts of violence happen in the world every day and all of them, each and every one, could have had been prevented. But we rarely ever think about what could've been done to avoid such tragedies until it is too late. And then we are left with questions, we are left confused, we are left with that lost feeling of why.

Cho Seung-Hui was lonely, angry, and very disturbed. I refused to watch his taped manifesto because I didn't want to hear the hate in his voice and have it imprinted in my head. We are now finding out that he had been released from a psychiatric facility and that in the past couple of years, he was already exuding red-flag behavior. We are also finding out that when he was younger, he was teased for being shy and taunted for his accent.

Could someone have done something to comfort him during those early years? Yes. Could someone have tried to befriend him and stand up for him against the bullies of his youth? Definitely. This makes me question the extent of our responsibility towards others. We know the difference between right and wrong, but how many of us would step up and actually do something to right those wrongs? No one wants to get involved; no one wants to get hurt.

The Virginia Tech tragedy has been declared the deadliest shooting in U.S. history. This incident has left a deep wound in heart and I cry alongside so many others. As a teacher of primary students, I'm left second-guessing on whether I am doing my part. I look at my kids and wonder how I can be a better-everything to them. And then I cry some more because the reality of these 8-9 year-old kids include events such as terrorist attacks and school shootings. My responsibility to my students is to first assure their safety and second, to help them understand and make sense of it all.

It's times like this that test our faith; it's times like this when we TURN to our faith. People are quick to ask and question why God would allow such tragedy...why such good people are taken from us before their time.

No one has those answers. We only need to put our trust and faith into our God that everything happens in His time. Surely He has a bigger plan for all those who were killed. And for us left behind, there are many lessons to be learned. No one anticipated for this angry, Asian kid from South Korea to grow up and go on a shooting rampage...of course not. But are we ignoring the signs that point to a troubled mind? Are we quick to dismiss unusual behavior due to our lack of understanding or do we refuse to acknowledge that there is even a problem in the first place? Do we nonchalantly decide that it is "just a phase" in hopes that the child will simply grow out of it?

A friend of mine at work made the following comment, "There's just too much sin in the world." Yes, it's everywhere...and if we need to be technical about it, WE are all sinners (..."for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"....Rom 3:23). A note was found in her classroom and when she repeated the contents of that note, I was in utter shock. Shocked not in the fact that a note was passed/found, but shocked to learn that a couple of 3rd Graders were so angry about something that they used almost every cuss word to describe a teacher who had reprimanded them. I'm not so naive to think that these kids wouldn't know cuss words- they do! They all watch movies that are inappropriate and many times, the parents are not there to supervise and to talk about what was shown, etc. Could this make a big difference? Hell yes.

The Virginia Tech shootings have been a huge topic of discussion in my class, but I'm careful not to overdo it. My one hope is that the lesson they learned from all of this nonsense is that it only takes one thing to make a difference- one kind work, one invitation to play, one shoulder to cry on, one hand to hold, one thank you, one please, and even one smile- all of these things WILL make a difference in someone's life...perhaps in that one lonely, angry, and disturbed individual.

I pray for the victims' families and friends who are mourning the loss of their loved ones. I pray that God comforts their hearts and allows for healing to take place. My thought and prayers for us all...