The incident at San Bernardino adds to the growing list of shootings that have occurred over the past few years. On Wednesday, December 2nd, news broke as people scrambled to find out what was happening. It has now been reported that a couple shot at a center for people with developmental disabilities, killing 14 and wounding 21 others.
On Saturday December 5th, the news came out on CNN that ISIS has now claimed that the couple were supporters of their organization. That they [ISIS] was responsible for the massacre that killed 14 and left 21 injured. In recent news the massacre was carried out by a man and his wife: Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik,who left their six-month old child with her grandmother as they set out on their mission to kill. The couple led police on a wild chase, but met their fate facing 21 officers, gunning them down.
News has been spread about the killers, but what about the victims of this heinous massacre? When I was looking at the pictures of the victims their faces burned into my eyes and my heart as these 14 people will no longer be able to share love and support for the disabled. Those who were killed, ranging from ages of 27 to 60, had unique and different stories. The LA Times as well as CNN and many other news sources have been releasing details about the victims of the shooting. There is one victim in particular that is garnering attention, 45 year old Shannon Johnson, who died while shielding his co-worker as the shots rung out. He is being lauded as a hero and a good man.
Life is becoming increasingly short for us in this generation. Instead of cultivating peace and love we are cultivating terror and uncertainty. According to the Washington Post, the San Bernardino shooting has become the 355th mass shooting that has occurred in this year alone. How is it that we have more shootings than days of the year? In times of fear and of danger the thing to say is usually, “My prayer's going out to ____.”I have always wondered who they are praying to. I have also heard people say that they no longer believe in a God because if there were one, how could He have let such a thing happen? My reply is perhaps it is because we let it happen. It is not as if God takes delight in the deaths of His creation. Instead of blaming God, perhaps we should look at ourselves.I definitely do not have all the answers and I don’t think that this kind of behavior will ever end, because that is human nature. We have such a large capacity to do evil to other, yet at the same time we have been given as large a capacity to do good. How can we reconcile the conundrum of why bad things happen to good people? How can we change the world that we live in? Can we forever hide behind our facade of strength and solidarity against an organization whose sole purpose is to inflict terror?
My prayers are with everyone who has lost a loved one in the 355 shootings this past year. I pray for the lives that were affected by this. I also pray for those who have inflicted this terror, as God calls us to love even our worst enemies.
