The emotions caught me completely off-guard. The lead story on the 11:00 newscast last night was all about today's anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre. As I watched the video of the preparations being made on campus and in town, my town, tears started rolling down my cheeks.
"Where did that come from?" I wondered. Then I remembered. As the photo of slain Corps of Cadets member Matt LaPorte flashed on the screen a second time, I recalled sitting in my car and watching his funeral procession go by last year. I had been on my way downtown after Bible study to meet a friend for lunch. As I approached a cemetery up ahead, the two cars in front of me came to a stop, and as I got closer I understood why.
The first things to catch my attention were the state police officers on motorcycles, driving in continuous circles in the middle of the street, blue lights flashing. Once they moved out of the way, row after row of cadets in full dress uniform came marching in formation down the street. I rolled down my window to listen to the steady, somber sound of the drumbeat. There had to have been several hundred cadets, it really was an impressive sight. It was so sad...here was a young man who was training to defend his country, and he was gunned down while sitting innocently in his college classroom, along with 31 others with similarly sharp minds and high ambitions.
I was humbled to be able to witness this processional, and I said a prayer for the young man's family and fellow cadets. I remember feeling irritated at people in other cars who turned around and drove away, rather than wait for the processional to pass. It seemed so disrespectful, so selfish.
How quickly we move on. How quickly we get back to our routines and our agendas and to-do lists. I have gotten back to mine as well. I pray, however, that the unspeakable tragedy of a year ago will continually remind me to take time for others. It only took 5-10 minutes out of my schedule to watch those cadets march by in honor of their fallen comrade, a simple show of respect. It really doesn't take much effort to show others that we care about them as long as we have a willing heart to do so.
To mark the anniversary of the tragedy, this morning a group of VT students hosted a prayer breakfast at my church. It was the perfect way to start the day, gathering with a group of believers to pray for victims' families, the campus and town, and strength to face the day, and to praise the name of the One who is our strength. One of the students shared the following passage from 2 Corinthians 4:7-11: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our own body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body."
Today I will pray that as the media spotlight ones again shines on Blacksburg, God's glory will outshine the lights of the television cameras and the world will catch a glimpse of God's divine strength and all-surpassing power. I will pray for his Spirit of love and peace to descend on our community and in the hearts of those whose hearts are broken. And I will praise Jesus, the one who heals the hurt, and whose light shines through the darkness. May we walk in service to him, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal bodies.
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
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