Home, Sycamore, IL

When a shooting tragedy struck Virginia Tech, it hurt and stung, but it was so far away.

When a gunman hit ministries in Colorado, it bothered me greatly, but my closest connection was friends who were nearby.

When yet another tragedy happened yesterday at Northern Illinois University, it left me angered, bothered, speechless.  It hit so close to home.  For NIU is my alma mater, Cole Hall is where I spent a semester taking classes and nearly two years involved in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and NIU is but 15 minutes from my home.  Not to mention the fact that NIU is the home campus through which I've been involved in college ministry at church for the past two years and where my cousin & his girlfriend currently attend. 

Angered at the selfishness of people who find the need to drag others into their own self-pity.

Bothered at the situation that seems to be growing in this country.

Speechless because I just don't understand. 

From 3:30pm throughout the afternoon, I was glued to the security update page on NIU's Web site.  After a brief but enjoyable Valentine's dinner with my wife, we went on to church where many of us were planning to gather for a time of prayer.  From the church, we went back over to campus to be a part of an impromptu prayer & praise service outside some of the dorms.  What a blessing to see students gathering together worshipping the God who is still in control.  After spending some additional time visiting with other students involved in our ministry, we went back home.  My wife's comment seemed to capture it all -- "time just seems to be standing still".  So many developments in so few hours, so many lives impacted forever in such a brief period of time, so much happening that we just don't understand. 

In the days, weeks, months, and years to come, there will be more dialogue, more discussion, more debate.  More arguing about action steps, more pushiness about politics, more garbling about gun control.  And as important as each of those are, I can't help but to remember there's one reason, recognize there's one solution, and realize there's one response.

Even though we don't understand the details of why someone would do this and why actions like this take place, we just need to remember that there's one reason for it -- it's the fallen and evil nature in each of us. 

Despite that evil nature which destines us to damnation and sets us up for no better than this mess we're in, we just to recognize there's one solution -- a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe and His Son Jesus Christ.

And when our best understanding helps us grasp those realities, we need to realize there's just one reasonable response -- trusting in Him alone, for our future and for our present.

As one of our pastors and I were talking about last night...  We ask the question of why God might allow something like this to take place.  And we could probably come up with a nice, tidy apologetic answer.  But right now I'm still a bit speechless, still don't quite understand.  And still turn to Him who promises that His love is enduring and in the end we win. 

"How great is the love the Father has given us so freely!  Now we can be called children of God.  And that's what we really are!"  -1 John 3:1

1 Corinthians 15

PS - Please join me in praying for the Church as a whole, as well as our local churches as we respond to this situation.  Interestingly enough, our church just started a series addressing significant issues we face in life -- and this past week we focused on the topic of suicide.  May God be lifted up and His Kingdom glorified through the messiness of this situation.