People like you

Ok, that title sounds a bit antagonistic, doesn't it? Well, I just read some comments about the VT Tragedy that really struck me. Darien quoted from an article about the individuals murdered. It goes into some detail about several of them and said that it is sad that the murderer will get much more "ink" than the victims. That is truly sad. These were people, like you - they had dreams, purpose and a God who loved them.

Here is the article. View it on Darien's site here. (Good article Darien, thanks)

Honor Roll
As you read about of some of the people murdered at Virginia Tech, Monday, consider how these were ordinary people who allowed God to shape them into the kind of person who would just naturally do what Jesus would do.

"As we search for some “meaning” or lesson from the Virginia Tech massacre, it is predictable that we will read endless analysis of the life and mind of the killer, Cho Seung-Hui. But what about those he killed?

Lauren McCain, 20 years old, from Hampton, Virginia was a freshman. On her MySpace page she told readers she had two heroes, Jesus Christ and her brother.

Austin Cloyd, 18, originally from Illinois, loved kids and spent his summers on mission trips to Appalachia to minister to the poor.

Liviu Librescu, 76, was a Holocaust survivor from Romania, who fought communism in his home country before moving to Israel. He was murdered on Holocaust Memorial Day, as he tried to keep the killer out of his classroom until his students could flee.

Matthew La Porte, 20, was in the corps of Air Force cadets at Virginia Tech and reportedly died trying to help others who had already been shot.

Rachael Hill, 18, graduated from Grove Avenue Christian School in Richmond,Virginia and was described as “gracious” and “loving.”

Ryan Clark, 22, was the resident advisor killed in the dorm when he responded to sounds of violence. He was pursuing a triple major in psychology, biology and English.

The list - of 32 people filled with promise and hope - goes on and on. They won’t get nearly the amount of “ink” as the man who murdered them, but they and their families deserve our prayers and our remembrance."

-Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, Wednesday, April 18, 2007

The challenge for us today is to consider whether or not we're prepared to live like Jesus. Not just try to live like Jesus. Because trying won't cut it. We need to train and prepare to live like Jesus.

Jesus said, "I am the vine and you are the branches. He who remains in me will bear much fruit for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) If you want to be ready to respond well under the worst of circumstances, then train to remain connected to Jesus, the vine. Train by meeting with him each day in his word and with his spirit. Trust him. Follow him. Live like him.

My comments to Darien:

You are right. So much "ink" given to the killer and the victims get lumped together in the number "32." They cease to be individuals and are forever linked in a group. Sad. Thanks for the more personal info.

Another problem is all the talk about "bringing everyone closer together." It is sad that tragic events like 911, Columbine and VT are what bring us together (and it does and should). But, imagine if communities, schools, churches, small group came "closer together" because of serving one another, respecting each other. That would truly be great.

I'm serious about that last part. "What if?" Look for opportunities to serve each other, love each other, honor each other - instead of waiting for a tragedy. Let's see how that looks.