tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11093162.post7245725877180205425..comments2024-03-11T16:52:26.540-07:00Comments on Can it happen here?: Gun massacre preachingjaninsanfranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07548452260456734928noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11093162.post-50072915502345153452012-12-18T14:44:36.501-08:002012-12-18T14:44:36.501-08:00I began Sunday's sermon by reading the names o...I began Sunday's sermon by reading the names of the victims of the shooting; unlike the New York Times, however, I included Adam Lanza in that list. His death is no less tragic than that of any of the other victims. <br /><br />The sermon on Sunday did not strike me as the time for analysis of psychological motivations or promotion of public policy prescriptions. There will be a time for that, but it seemed to me that now was the time to reflect on the stories of those now dead, on the promise, beauty, and tragedy of their lives. <br /><br />We tend to become fascinated by the "evil" of the story; the way forward is through a deeper encounter with the elements of self-giving love that thread their way through the lives of those lost. It is there that we will find the answer to the question "What are we to do?" that the crowds asked John the baptizer in response to his warning of the "wrath" to come. <br /><br />The answer to that question was - and is - different for different people. But for all of us, the answer must hold open the possibility that we can change - that even the tax collectors and soldiers, the people who are "part of the problem," can repent and choose a possibility other than "wrath." The Rev. John Kirkleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17915490727988762513noreply@blogger.com