Virgina Tech Massacre and … Repentance

Virgina Tech Massacre and … Repentance

Cho Seung Hui

I’ve blogged on tragedy before:

But since the massacre at Virginia Tech, I’ve been at a loss for words. I’ve wanted to try to research this to put it into perspective for myself and perhaps my readers — as if anyone could. But it’s still too grisly and horrifying. I only know I’m already sickened of the politicizing going on around the tragedy.

So, I am relieved that a fellow Christian blogger has put what I think is the true proper perspective on this or any other tragedy. Kevin Stilley, of Encyclopedia Kevannica, writes:

Today and for the rest of the week every radio talk show and television news program will be discussing yesterday’s events at Virginia Tech. They will host philosophers, theologians, psychologists, and sociologists who will discuss the problem of evil ad nauseam. They will try their best to help the populace make sense of the senseless.

And, when they get tired of those topics they will move on to the political issues; — gun control, campus security, the cultural ramifications of violence in movies and music, etc.

On Sunday morning pastors will stand in their pulpits and explore such themes as the depravity of man, the comfort of God, trusting God when we do not understand, and more.

What a shame.

All of those issues are important and need to be repeatedly revisited and explored in depth, but ….

Jesus said that when we become witnesses to the unexpected tragedies of others to whom we are not personally ministering our response is not to be voyeuristic gawkers, philosophical soothsayers, or even theologians. It is a time for personal reflection and repentance.

It’s a great article, and a sobering one, putting our response into the proper perspective.

Encyclopedia Kevannica
Our mishandling of the Virginia Tech tragedy

I would simply like to add that when we are ministering to folks experiencing their own chaos, we should practice the proper response as modeled by Jesus … what Foursquare pastor Jerry Cook calls the Jesus Question:

Yet, here is Jesus Christ stepping out of eternity to reveal the only God there is, and He says, “I haven’t come to be served.” Now to me that doesn’t make sense. Again, my question is, If You haven’t come to be served, why are You here? Why did You come? Again His answer is, “I haven’t come to be served , but to serve.”

Immediately I begin to recall all the questions Jesus asked throughout the Gospels. Almost always they came down to this: “What can I do for you?” What were His first words to blind Bartimaeus? “What would you like Me to do for you?” What about the lepers? “What can I do for you?” What about the man at the pool? “What can I do for you?”

Indeed. How can we help?

How can I help?

[tags]BlogRodent, Cho-Seung-Hui, eric-brian-golden, massacre, murder, psychopath, rampage, sash-assembly-of-god, shooting, tragedy, virgina, virgina-tech, psychopath [/tags]

3 thoughts on “Virgina Tech Massacre and … Repentance

  1. PASTOR PHIL

    I agree. Jesus would not be a “grandstander” in the wake of this awful event. He would be asking the question, “What can I do for you”?

    We ALL need to put on the towel and and go to work. Paul said “Let this same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus”… that mindset was the mind of a servant with humility. If the King of all creation could lower himself to wash the nasty feet of his followers we should be jumping at the chance to do the same… serve people. Love them. Show them that you care and just want to help.

    Let the fruits of the Spirit show. It’s not just about preaching and teaching. If you want to teach someone about the love of Jesus, don’t just talk about it… get out there and SHOW it to them.

    Prayerfully,

    Pastor Phil

  2. Joe Aleman

    It never ceases to amaze me how Americans/Christians freak out at the death of those close in proximity, while those distant appear to matter little. In one massacre, we lost 33 men and women and the country is up in arms, yet in Iraq it happens everyday. Why doesn’t that shock us anymore? Do soldiers make the front page?

    Truth be told, the same spirit which led Cho lives on in Iraq’s pseudo-martyrdom militia: resentment, anger, bitterness, evil, malice, hypocrisy, and vengeance all permeate the streets of Bagdad. Cho’s victims look identical to the armed forces who wade in the waters of death each day; and his motivation and message are quite similar to middle eastern clerics and terrorists.

    Therefore, however individuals respond to this tragedy, a deep consideration of Cho’s emotional state and reason (seemingly justifiable to him) for mass murder would be wise. Although our tendency is simply to relegate him to the status of a madman: Is there any truth, wisdom, or social validity to his message? Has the media, booms, riots, and wars blinded our eyes? We hate oppression (of the weak and powerless), neglect, isolation, ostrascization, prejudices, feeling inferior, being treated like worthless imbeciles — and we can’t even handle the occupations of our parking spaces by strangers (much less our country by the rich and powerful bully’s). Has the speculative legitimacy of our message and war overshadowed the feelings of others?

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