about this past week’s news of the tragedy in Newtown,
Connecticut.
If your head, heart, and soul are full and overflowing right
now, like mine are at this moment, hold all that you can … and then set aside the
enormity of your response. Place it somewhere for later processing. Do this
with all that’s deep within you.
That’s often how it works best with events too large for
words.
Meanwhile, keep
going.
Finish your work this week, like I need to do. Over the
weekend, conclude your last minute preparations for the holiday season, like my
wife undoubtedly will do for my family. Bless her. Then celebrate Christmas next
Tuesday with family and friends. That’s what’s on my calendar.
Read the Christmas story by a roaring fire. Watch It’s a Wonderful Life. Open presents. Eat
turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, cranberry sauce, and that great green bean
casserole with the crunchy onions on top.
Later, much later,
turn on a copy of Silent Night
and really listen to the words.
Just when it’s you.
Just when you have a moment to think.
Silent night, holy
night.
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon virgin, mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night.
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar;
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born.
Christ the Savior is born.
Silent night, Holy night.
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord at thy birth.
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon virgin, mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night.
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar;
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born.
Christ the Savior is born.
Silent night, Holy night.
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord at thy birth.
Jesus Lord at thy
birth.
When the music is over, and all is quiet, begin to sort
through your sorrow, rage, confusion, and grief.
You see, right now is
a strange juxtaposition of holiday season with tragedy.
Yes, there is joy.
Yes, there is pain.
And we are wondering if it’s okay to hold them both.
It’s okay.
One, a horrific reminder of a broken world.
The other, a mighty promise of Peace on Earth.
Question: How are you processing the news right now?
15 comments:
Hello Marcus. Such a tragedy that happened. I can't even begin to imagine how the parents and family of those children must feel. Their lives have been taken away just like that. It is so, so sad. This week, I realized how many of my American Facebook "friends" are against Obama, and are all for owning guns. Most of them post provocative slogans that are just silly, others try to think about it, and try to justify their guns. I am shocked by some things they post, that I strongly think about unfriending them on there. I am sure that most of my American friends that own a gun, will never cause any trouble. But I am shocked to see so many of them ignoring the fact that there surely is a problem at the moment. A problem that involved the use of firearms. I know this is silly, as the Netherlands is a very small country. But..in 2001 there were 280 murders. 110 of these were because of firearms. So, over the years, the Netherlands changed their regulations and checks. We all realize it won't STOP the killing, but it sure is a step in the right direction to bring back the number of murders. The new regulations paid off..in 2011 there were 150 murders in total in the Netherlands. 39% of these were done by firearms, about 58 people. That sure is a drop in numbers. I strongly believe that better and new regulations can bring down the amount of people getting killed. I am not saying that lunatics will be stopped from killing more people, but it sure is a start to a better future I think. What matters most to me now, are those young children who never get a chance to grow up, fall in love, live a long and happy life, maybe invent a cure to cancer, and stand up for their believes. It's all so sad. Surely something to think about for a long time.
Thanks Yuri, good thoughts all around, and I always appreciate comments from people who don't live in the USA. Provides a helpful perspective.
Right to bear arms is a complex topic worldwide, particularly perhaps in America.
Like I've said before, I grew up in Canada, so I come to the table with a slightly different perspective.
To compound matters, any time there's a tragedy like has just happened, the topic gets mixed with a lot of emotion. Undoubtedly, like you're saying, this fervor is not entirely a bad thing. To put it plainly--we want to do whatever we can to stop horrific tragedies, and if stronger gun control aids this, then so be it.
Yet there's another camp here, and what they have to say is not all wrong. Sure, messages get mixed, but this camp takes the (historically proven) perspective that hostilities exist, and so sane-minded people have a right and even a responsibility to protect themselves.
In this line of thinking, for instance, people are saying that what the principal at Sandy Hook needed was a gun of her own. Instead of trying to tackle the perpetrator, she could have actually stopped him. i.e. the hostile situation already existed, so she needed to fight back with strong fire power.
Anyway, definitely a complex issue.
I appreciate your comments always.
One other thought ... and this came from an outside reader who e-mailed me. I asked him if I could post his comments in the interest of furthing discussion, and he asked me to summarize them.
Anyway, he recognized that there's a strong point to be made for limiting assault-type weapons, and also for upping the mental health provisions within a country so that people who are in genuine need receive ongoing help.
Yet he noted that guns, in and of themselves, are only one type of weapon.
And the misuse of firearms is actually a symptom of a greater problem.
He sent me this link from Wikipedia, which I had never seen before, about the "Bath School Tragedy" in 1927, the largest school massacre ever recorded.
Another horrific part of history, absolutely. But what is interesting to note, said the reader, was that the perpetrator did not use guns as his main weapon--he used explosives.
The point being, the man said, if people are hostile, there are plenty of other weapons out there than guns.
Truly a sobering thought.
Here's the link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster
Something this horrific and irrational can not be processed to any type of meaningful conclusion. I think getting through it at the moment involves a few things: recognizing the precarious nature of life and of fate, gratitude that we are able to hold our children close each day and that we have the luxury of reveling in their lovely innocence and joy, observing the goodness in people that continues to exist all around us and cranking our own kindness up an extra notch.
There is still far more good in the world than evil. I think realizing this and holding on to it in as many ways as possible is important in the face of such incredible horror and sadness.
Kaylee, an excellent line, thanks ...
"There is still far more good in the world than evil. I think realizing this and holding on to it in as many ways as possible is important in the face of such incredible horror and sadness."
Good thoughts from Joe Burdick, via e-mail (OK'd to post)...
Well said, Marcus.
One of the ways to deal with problems we can’t solve is to put that problem in the hands of God.
As I look at my Grandkids and Great Grandkids and start thinking “What If?”, I am soon overwhelmed.
I can’t imagine the loss of a loved one under the circumstances created by a person with a total disregard for human life.
Then I finally stop trying to imagine and embrace what I have and thank God for watching over them.
Marcus, the words of Silent Night are like a soothing balm to the soul.
Thanks for your wisdom.
It's a tragedy, heart-breaking, and mind-numbing to be sure. But it is just as tragic that while we feel such pain at this event, there is no similar public outpouring of grief at the thousands of innocent kids who die every single day from preventable hunger and disease.
As a group, we Americans are an utterly selfish lot. We wail and gnash our teeth despite the fact that tragedies such as this and 9/11 are so rare as to be almost non-existent, yet similar death, suffering and despair is visited on our fellow humans elsewhere on the planet on pretty much a daily basis.
We need a to get ourselves a very large helping of a sense of proportion people.
A good global perspective. Thanks.
I was doing all right, until I had dinner with my daughter on the Monday night following the tragedy. An assistant educator working with 6 and 7-year olds in an underfunded school on the north side of Minneapolis, my daughter said that most of the kids didn't really know all that much about the event.
Then one little girl tugged on her sleeve. "Miss. If something bad happened would YOU die for US?"
The rest of dinner was hard for me.
Well put, thanks.
Hi Marcus, I also understand what you're saying. It's all a complex situation, with various rights and wrongs to it. It will be hard to see some sort of solution for this I can imagine, as there are so many different situations. I also learn from responses here or on Facebook or on news websites and realize there are many sides to the stories. Good luck to all my American friends.
Marcus - Here is how I handled the news: I cried. I cried for the pain, grief and sorrow of those families; and for the fear those littles endured. Then I heard a comment that said, if you look at any pictures of that tragedy, you will find all sorts of angels helping out. Angels from the police, to counselors, fire fighters, teachers and parents. There is always more good that surrounds a tragedy than the evil that caused it.
Thanks Swimmerman.
Thee are no words for such a tragedy. My son just got one year old. Since he was born I have this fear in me that something might happen to him. Something bad. An accident, an health issue you name it. When he will go to school or kindergarten I fear that other children will treat him bad or that he might get ran over by someone driving under alcohol on his way to school. But getting shot from a lunatic in school was far far away of my mind. But these happenings in Newtown bring up those fears. These things even happen in Germany where we have very srict gun rules. I pray to god to spare my son and family of such evil.
I can not imagine what the parents of these young people are thinking these days. I asume they were looking forward to Christmas with their children, unpacking presents, singing under the tree and then comes this one man and he wipes away everything. I think I would sank to death in their situation.
Answering the question which way to go that those things never happen again... You can't! Like I said even with strict laws like we have in Germany you can not stop it. Yes you can reduce it, what hasbto be made asap, but stopping it is impossible. Like Marcus quoted even if you get rif of every gun on the planet, there are various other weapons to use.
Neverheless something has to be changed in gun laws in the US, to start reducing the possibility. Why normal americans need assault rifles as their private gun is out of my mind. To defend yourself against bad? What do yiu want to do wizh somebody coming to your house trying to ham you? Shoot him wih 30 bullets in 3 seconds? The gun always have to fit to the things you want to do with it. By we way, a taser gun is a very effective way to stop someone without killing him. Wouldn't you want that the guy who killed all those children and adults in Newton would still live. Then he could suffer, be punished for all what he did. People who kill children are not well treated in prison if you know what I mean. Sure enough a taser might not have stopped the guy. I just wanted to give an example.
Not ghe death penalty is the thing that scares the most, it is the time you are waiting for it.
But I'm getting offtopic here.
T
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