Once upon a time, living in a developed nation meant just having to deal with “First World problems.” It meant being reasonably safe from the threat of mass violence.
We now live in a different world. In the wake of the deadly terrorist attacks on Paris, the anxiety of people everywhere is palpable. Sadly, this is the latest campaign of death and destruction perpetrated by Isis around the world.
We mourn the hundreds of victims killed and wounded in Paris on Friday. We mourn those killed in the Beirut bombings on Thursday. We mourn the millions of migrants displaced by the war in Syria.
For many, the attacks on Paris echo painful memories of 9/11. It would be traumatizing enough if we only had to worry about foreign terrorists. But in recent years, we’ve seen an alarming rise in mass gun violence in our schools, colleges, movie theaters, inner cities, and even places of worship. We’ve grown collectively numb to mass violence as we try to cope with its unrelenting frequency.
At times like this, the world can feel like a dangerous and dark place. We can feel helpless, even hopeless, when faced with such senseless evil.
But, now more than ever, we must stand together in our common desire for peace. We must find common ground in our shared humanity.
Let us, through our compassion and love, shine our light in the darkness.
Cylon George,
Campus Chaplain
Published: Mon, 16 Nov 2015 12:55:24 +0000 by c.george