tragedy at Virginia Tech -- Pensamientos (afterthought)
We've all been shocked and saddened by the events that happened this week (April 16, 2007) at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Two of the slain students have roots close to Teaneck: Matthew Joseph La Porte is from Dumont and Mary Read's mother lives in Palisades Park. No doubt many friends and family will be coming to comfort and share their grief with these families, and as a community of faith we at Trinity will be lifting up these families to the throne of grace that God might heal their broken hearts. At times like these we can do little but draw close to God. We should be careful not to be too quick to assign blame. We should not blame campus officials for not doing more. We should not blame the mental health professionals who were aware of the shooter's mental instability. We should not blame the shooter's parents. Nor should we blame society, the person who sold the weapons, or the gun manufactures. No one forced this crazy man to kill anyone. I won't dignify the killer by mentioning his name. You can learn all you want and more in the news. I would like, however, to remember those who were killed by giving their names and ask that you might pray for their families, and yes pray for the family of the killer as they too will be grieving. Let's pray that God will somehow use this senseless act to bring people to himself. Let us all be reminded how precious are our loved ones and how quickly they can be take from us. And let's pray that nothing like this will happen again.Victims of the Virginia Tech massacre that happened on April 16, 2007
Ross Abdallah Alameddine, Brian Roy Bluhm, Ryan Christopher Clark,
Austin Michelle Cloyd, Matthew Gregory Gwaltney, Caitlin Millar Hammaren,
Jeremy Michael Herbstritt, Emily Jane Hilscher, Jarrett Lee Lane,
Matthew Joseph La Porte, Henry J. Lee, Liviu Librescu,
Partahi Mamora Halomoan Lumbantoruan, Lauren Ashley McCain,
Daniel Patrick O'Neil, Juan Ramon Ortiz-Ortiz, Minal Hiralal Panchal,
Daniel Alejandro Perez, Michael Steven Pohle, Jr., Julia Kathleen Pryde,
Mary Karen Read, Reema Joseph Samaha, Waleed Mohamed Shaalan
Leslie Geraldine Sherman, Maxine Shelly Turner, Nicole White *
Pastor Steve
*The Virginia Tech web site has only posted these twenty-six names with the following note: "The preceding victims have been positively identified, and their next of kin notified. Names of all 32 victims will be added as they become available." Web page is available at: http://www.vt.edu/.
Find more afterthoughts at Mas Pensamientos
(more afterthoughts)
Return to Home Page of trinityteaneck.org