I understand that at a time of crisis — especially when the bulk of the victims of terror were the most innocent and precious among us — we long for comfort. And, of course, each of us will turn to to our personal beliefs and philosophies to find that comfort and to make sense of something utterly senseless.
And so our facebook walls are flooded with images of Jesus sitting in the classroom with the children or leading them out of the school or welcoming them to heaven with open arms.
And, if such images bring you or others comfort in the aftermath of this horror, then I can appreciate and accept these artistic efforts.
But sadly, at least among my right-wing family, friends and neighbors, there is tendency to extend these efforts at comfort to some greater religious meaning:
• It's all part of a greater plan.
• God has called these children home.
And from there it morphs into politics.
• When these things happen, it's God's will. So enacting gun control would be violating God's will.
• God uses these tragedies to punish us for (some perceived sin against God). Greater influence by (my) religion in government is the only way we can be truly safe.
And somewhere along the line comforting ourselves with
• It's okay because Jesus
becomes
• There's nothing we can (should) do because Jesus
And when we (or a significant portion of the populace) begins to believe that there is nothing that can (or should) be done, then nothing gets done.
And Dear God! we MUST to do something about this.