“The function of prayer is not to influence God,
but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.”
Søren Kierkegaard
I was a high school art teacher for 31 years.
I loved my kids and I struggled with my kids.
The gifted,
the complicated,
the defiant,
the quiet,
the creative,
the difficult,
the angry,
the arrogant,
the athletic,
the popular,
the shy,
the academic,
the immature,
the kind,
the thoughtful,
the thoughtless,
the selfish,
the forgotten,
the struggler,
the spoiled,
the average,
the happy,
the sad,
the hard to crack…
My heart aches for Santa Fe High School and her entire community.
For those who have loved ones who will not be coming home at the end
of this school year.
Once again we are a nation wrapped in our shock, our sorrow, and our grief.
There are no clear-cut answers or explanations.
Anger, resentment, hate, indifference, intolerance, evil…
these are not simple issues.
Issues with no apparent clear-cut single solution …
Yet before we point our fingers, rile in our righteous indignation,
demand change or drown in our own emotionalism…
let us remember the families who are hurting…
families who are going through the unimaginable weight of unspeakable loss.
Let us mourn with them and for them.
As their arms ache to hold those they love just one more time.
May we ask a God, who is far greater than ourselves, to help us find our way.
I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord;
he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live;
and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
I know that my Redeemer liveth,
and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth;
and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God;
whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold,
and not as a stranger.
For none of us liveth to himself,
and no man dieth to himself.
For if we live, we live unto the Lord.
and if we die, we die unto the Lord.
Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord;
even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labors.
The Book of Common Prayer
Burial of the Dead, Rite I
So sad to hear of yet another mass shooting Julie. Totally agree with the Søren Kierkegaard quote.
I love that quote as well David and have used it often
Beautiful words cast over an ugly evil…thank you for this lovely balm for so many broken hearts. ❤️ Jesus, we trust in you.
thank you Dawn
Jesus assures us. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Thanks for praying and mourning.
Beautiful words and thank you. I will share this on Facebook today. My wife’s sister, Sjonneke lives a few blocks from the school. She supplements her retirement by working for Balfour. She had just been at Sante Fe the day before selling and sizing class rings. She has been very disturbed by it, having met these kids.
Thank you Mark
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging and commented:
Amen S.C. 🙂
Thank you as always GW
You’re very welcome SW 😍
Times like these, prayer while noble, is not enough jewels.
Someone needs to raise a clear voice and say with utmost confidence:
This young punk is just another murdering bastard. That’s right, a son of an illegitimate father, one who has no right to his own life for taking the life of others.
One quick solution? Immediate death on television by shotgun, (since TV is the go-to for agenda setting) and guaranteed to strike fear in others who may think of committing such devious acts. Is this then cruel or unusual? No.
Sure we can pray and even forgive, but perhaps we should simply set the appointment with God earlier than the punk expected. And ending his life is far more easier than to live with such a perverse mind.
Also can’t stand the deviance expressed on CNN. ”How do you FEEL……..blah blah blah……….’
I’m just opting to start there before too much knee jerk as the media outlets have, as you say, obviously begun.
I need to be lead by the Holy Spirit rather than my own reactionary anger….but yes, my anger and frustustion is there as is yours…
Yep, your restraint is commendable, and correct no doubt.
That dime has two sides though, since it is a coin. 😉
Spot on!!! Evil is pervasive. Come, Lord Yeshua!!!
Truly so Don
How nice it was yesterday when the big issue was Laurel and Yanny
there is a deep sickness and we don’t even realize how sick we are…and just how much we need the Healer…
Interesting that this was the school, I actually have a slight connection. A guy I used to work with years ago…his daughter was the one involved in the lawsuit over prayer there if you have heard it mentioned. Hi mother in law is also the oldest surviving member our our church, which is how he and I reconnected after over 10 years not even knowing where the other was. I Imagine our shock when we ran into each other on our little podunk church in the middle of nowhere. Also, he and his wife run the facility my Mom moved to just before she died. Small world Seven degrees of separation or something right?
I hear the twilight zone music 😗
Very well said Julie.
Thanks Tricia— it’s a hard thing— too many hard things!
So sad, my prayers for Sante Fe
Prayers… ❤ ❤
Amen!