O God of the rising sun and its setting
in you we live, thrive and exult in your goodness.
Our days pass like a shadow
joy fills our hearts
sorrow shakes the soul
and hope sets us free.
If the earth were to swallow us
we would not blame the shifting crust
the earth that must move
even if it hurts by being itself.
But when one of our own
a child himself who knows children
pours wrath into hallways
running red
we do not understand
and we do blame
for there can be no other explanation
for such madness
and evil.
But just now
with nothing left to do
we raise the sparks
of holy hope and love
upward, from whence
every shred of life
comes and returns
in season and out.
Amen.
vitalwholeness 
Thank you for this Tim as I try to make sense of the most horrific news this day. Who can understand this?
Thank you, Tim. I checked your site this morning hoping you would have posted something that could help me understand this horrific tragedy. I’m praying for the families and friends of the precious children and teachers who were killed yesterday. I know the children are happy with Jesus, but I ache for the people left behind in our world. I cry as I write this…
Last Friday a crazed young man killed his mother, took guns allegedly registered legally to her, and went to a K-4 elementary school and slaughtered 20 children plus six teachers. Why did he do it? Why were guns with that capability in the home? Why are private citizens allowed to have guns that can fire that many rounds in five minutes? Why are politicians unable to free themselves from fear of the NRA lobby?
And what kind of God allows these things to happen? Or, did God having nothing to do with this at all?
Did my God — Love — play a role? If there had been enough love in the world for Adam, would he have done such a heinous act? Despite his mental impairment, if his family, neighbors, friends, teachers had been more understanding and empathetic; if our society paid more attention to researching causes and therapy for mental illness, would this have happened?
Who can say what would have happened if the love and peace of God’s kingdom had indeed come? Only one thing is sure among all the unanswered and unanswerable questions: love is all we can give the families of the victims and that of the shooter. Love help us.