I’m sure that the thoughts and prayers of all of us have been with those involved in the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday.
I can’t truly imagine the depth of the pain that the families of the victims and the survivors are feeling.
I feel like all I can do is pray, and praying is not always easy, especially when my thoughts and feelings seem numb from the shock of such news.
On Friday, as news about the shootings came out, my pastor posted the following on Facebook:
In the face of the violence we have seen today in CT, the most appropriate prayer seems to me to be a simple one: Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
That’s what I have been praying: Lord, have mercy.
Well-said Tina. Well-said indeed.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Keith. The prayer my pastor posted truly is simple.
DeleteHow true. And sometimes there are just no words.
ReplyDeleteJanet, I just couldn't say much more.
DeleteSometimes I think it's better to just pray and not offer many words. Because some of the words I have read have been so judgmental when none of us are there to understand the full situation. Prayers, however, are nothing but good.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more, Lisa.
DeleteLisa, I think you are full of wisdom and I totally agree. Tina, I too have struggled with what to pray. I like your pastor's advice.
DeleteSunny, I've been praying the prayer a lot.
DeleteAmen Tina. I cannot imagine the grief these families are going through.
ReplyDeleteWe had a fellowship time after church and as I listened to some of my fellow parishioners talking about this and who could possibly do such a thing and what would drive them to do it, I found myself saying something aloud that kind of surprised me. I said that I felt there was "no reason" for someone to do this and that the shooter was certainly a very, very sick person. It does not excuse the behavior. Like Lisa above said, I do not know the full situation. I don't know if there are people who can be pure evil without mental illness. But, since I have a mental illness, it makes me very thankful To God that my illness is not one of violence and allows me sanity, clarity, compassion, empathy and love for my fellow man.
Krystal Lynn, you raise some good points. I think the person who did this was very, very sick, too, and you're right, that doesn't excuse what he did.
DeleteThat touched me, have mercy on all of our minds, give us grace to understand or be ok without understanding. Just stay with the love.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Jodi.
DeleteAgreed. Father, have mercy for the victims, their families, the first responders, the entire town, for the shooter and for the whole world. Our hearts are broken. I pray also that this is a wake up call to all of us but especially those in positions of power. We can't let mental illness go untreated. The afflicted deserve better from us. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your lovely comment, Grace.
DeleteI honestly have no words for what happened. My heart is completely broken for those families and I just want to cry every time I think about it. I know that God has to be overwhelmed with prayers right now--and that's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteAlisha, I think it's a good thing that there are so many people praying, too.
DeleteSo so sad, heart breaking. So sad that it is hard to even find anger at such evil.
ReplyDeleteMuch prayers.
Blessings to you!
Deanna, I am feeling more sadness than anger right now, too. It's, as you say, heart breaking. Blessings to you, too.
DeleteYou say it so right Tina. There was shock here in Holland too. It keeps on being in the news.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Klaaske. People from all over the world have been supportive of the people in Newtown, and that's wonderful.
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