School Shooting

Described as the worst school shooting in US history, on Monday April 16th a lone gunman killed 33 people at Virginia Tech. A population of 25,000 was rocked by this senseless violence, perpetrated by a VA tech student, a senior. Students and teachers were among the victims. Two dozen people were injured, a dozen remain hospitalized. The gunman ended his own life.
What motive, what evil, what struggle explains such an act?
People will seek answers. People will seek justice. People will seek comfort.
All I know is that Jesus was executed unjustly too. God is hidden in suffering. Tragedy, though part of the divine drama we call existence or life, is not the last word. It is a penultimate word. What greater good comes from senseless violence and tragic murders? God only knows. Maybe a community can identify ways in which they can embrace people who are struggling, depressed, lost, angry, fragile, desperate etc...Maybe we can build spiritual communities where no secrets are hid and people are encouraged to live in peace and hope. Maybe we can teach young people how to cope with the demons that surround us, who promise us false comforts, false justices, false power. My guess is that this person had lost some power somehow or some postive self-identity. After all, he killed himself too.
Maybe we learn that violence plagues humanity. It is only by believing in a God familiar with violence, as victim and perpetrator, that violence makes any sense. The God of the Hebrew bible does his share of wrathful smiting. But the God of the Gospels finds Himself weeping from a cross. This God suffers a violent death. Why? This God seeks to end violence, to root it out by replacing it with a way of life so non-violent that only grave,criminal injustice moves practicioners to abandon it in defense of self or neighbor. That way of life is called 'LOVE'. "Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you." --Jesus.
God be with the families of those who died and comfort all who mourn. be with the students and faculty of Virginia Tech as they cope with the events that are shaping them. Show us all how to make sense of such violence, how to embrace your radical ethic of love, and how to be merciful to one another. God of new life, hear our prayers. Amen.