When we have the least to give...

Our world has been rocked pretty hard in the past week. Tuesday afternoon we heard of  three killed in a mall near Portland Oregon. In the midst of prayers and services, tragedy struck again in Newtown, Connecticut, as we read and heard that 20 children, 6 women, and the gunman himself died in a school shooting.

As I try to wrap my head around these tragedies, and others that occur seemingly far too often, I am reminded of something I often said to those I worked with as an educator. As each holiday would approach, I would often remind my staff, who were growing tired and looking forward to a Christmas break that “it is when we have the least to give that they need us the most”.

This week’s events seem to fit into that category for me as well. Two desperate souls, who clearly felt they had no where to turn and no one to turn to, allowed the evil that lurks within to surface and dictate their actions. How do we explain these senseless acts? Simply, we cannot. There is no rational explanation for irrational acts.

We can however, that these two desperate souls were feeling lost, alone, and feeling a level of despair that few of us ever experience. No doubt there were people in their lives who cared for them, who loved them, who valued them, and who nurtured them. Equally certain, they did not see or feel this love, care and concern.

Tomorrow marks the third Sunday of Advent. As Christmas approaches, we will get busier and the pace of life will increase. Remember to look around in the coming 10 days... for surely there are those among us who are feeling desperate, who are lost, alone and frightened. Though you may feel you have little left to give, never underestimate the power of a kind word or a thoughtful gesture. It may make a world of difference to someone teetering on the edge.

Let us make a promise to those at the mall in Oregon, at the school in Connecticut, and others who have lost their lives in senseless tragedies: Let us promise that their deaths will serve as reminders to us that we live in a hurting world, and that hurt people end up hurting people. Let us promise that we will become a little kinder, a little gentler, and a little more willing to reach out and comfort our fellow man. In this way we can honor the dead. In this way we can make a difference. A small difference. But a difference. One person, one gesture at a time.