We Are Family

As I write these words, America is still feeling the sting of the horrendous killing spree that took place earlier this week at Virginia Tech. There is little doubt that this tragic loss of life will spur a great deal of discussion and debate as government leaders and school officials look for ways to prevent another such occurrence. I am personally doubtful that any human means will be totally effective in the battle against evil. Evil is a spiritual reality and must be combated on a spiritual plane – even when it becomes incarnate in an individual and manifests itself in the terrible actions that human beings are capable of. Having said this, though, it occurs to me that there are things that the church (that is to say, we) can do beyond prayer to do battle against the type of violence we witnessed on that campus. One of the first things that struck me about the young man in question is the total isolation that he felt as a student on the Virginia Tech campus. As more information is discovered and released, we see the picture of a person who is friendless and feels unaccepted by fellow students; an outsider looking in at a world he feels he can never be a part of; a very lonely young man. This is similar to the information we have about the Columbine shooters, two individuals that Cho Seung-hui identified with and mentioned in his manifesto.  

At one level, it is hard to believe that loneliness and isolation can drive a human being to commit the type of violence we have witnessed this week. Yet we might be able to understand how brooding and resentment unchecked by any meaningful human contact can grow into rage and how rage unchecked by any sort of external reality can become homicidally violent – which brings us to the role of the church. During his earthly ministry, Jesus was careful never to allow his disciples to live and work in isolation. At a bare minimum, he would task two individuals to travel and work together. Following his principles, the Apostles spread the gospel and as people came to faith, they placed them in organized groups – the groups that have come to be known as church congregations. I am convinced that Jesus put us together in groups intentionally and for a lot of reasons, one of which is to combat the manifestation of evil that germinates in environments of isolation and loneliness.  

As Christians and members of a wonderful church family, have an obligation to be here for one another – that is obvious. What is less obvious is that we also have an obligation to reach out to those who don’t know about churches; especially to those who might appear to be “misfits”. When we see someone who is struggling to fit in at work or at school we should invite them to come and be with us, to consider joining our family. And we have an obligation to give them permission to become part of the family no matter how “misfit” they may seem to be at first.  Of course, we can not reach every troubled person on the planet. But if we can reach just one person before they become violent we will surely have done the work of the Kingdom. Food for thought. 

God bless –  Fr. Nick+