Sandy Hook Elementary School Tragedy

This week a twenty year old man walked into Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut and killed 20 children and six adults.  He had three guns with him. The one that was used the most was a semi-automatic A-15 assault rifle.  A type of gun that used to be banned in this country.

The horror of children being murdered is beyond words. Two moments in the aftermath of this tragedy stand out for me. In both a leader took on the burden of trying to speak of the unspeakable.  President Obama's speech at a Newtown memorial and a sermon given by Douglas Taylor at the Sunday service of the UU church in Binghamton were able to capture the deep sorrow felt by so many but each also gave glimpses on how we might move positively forward.  I am grateful to both of them.

Here's a link to the president's address in Newtown.

Douglas Taylor's sermon has not been published on the church website yet.  When it is you can find it here.  The title of the sermon is Faith in Hard Times. It was presented on December 16, 2012.

Another part of the service that had a deep impact on me was a reading of a piece entitled "Gratitude is not enough" by Elizabeth Tarbox.  This is a meditation taken from her book Eveningtide.Meditations.  It was selected and read by Libby Anderson.  Here are the last two paragraphs...

"Well, I refuse to lie down and be good.  I will not heal up neatly, sutures in a row, no scars. No I will not. I will shout out that I am here and hurting and I will demand of life that it return my shout decibel for decibel. I will speak of justice and kindness and beauty and truth and I will try bravery though I am a coward, and I will honor wisdom though I am a fool.

I will find other broken people with divinity shining through their pain, to remind me that the human spirit is hard to defeat, that the world is young yet and we are just an idea, that love is not for ever, but a little love once in a while is worth the risk of keeping the door of your heart wide open.  And I look for goodness and know it when I see it, and I see it in you and your children and you dreams.  And I can never be grateful enough."

Here's to all the broken people who continue to get back up and let their spirit shine through their pain.