Crisis On Campus

Promise Keepers joins a grieving country over the loss of life and injury to others on the campus of Virginia Tech, where evil manifested itself so profoundly. The powerful impact of this horrific event reaches to all segments of society. It stirs various feelings within each of us from compassion and support, to anger and blame, to reflection and thoughts about our own mortality.

The “why did he do it?” question will likely never be fully answered. Even if it was, it would not bring solace or comfort but only help us codify the event, tuck it into a category (hopefully somewhat distanced from us personally) and then go forward without taking action. Our needed actions could take three forms:

1)
Care and pray for those suffering loss, injury, fear and confusion. Be assured that the pain spreads way beyond Virginia Tech. All other school shootings and families who have lost members in war are but two obvious examples. Pray for them and those who serve them.
2)
Act on the important issues of Life and Death. Life, both temporal and eternal, needs urgent attention. The work of the thief (Satan) is to “steal, kill and destroy” (sounds sadly familiar), but Jesus Christ claims in the same passage (John. 10:10) to give life to the full. A personal choice for life is one of faith in the life giver, Jesus Christ. That is meaningful life now and throughout eternity with the Lord. To not act on this choice is to remain separated from God and without hope. If you have not taken this action, please go to the prayer at the end of this article and make your commitment to the Lord. Additional help is available at http://www.billygraham.org/SpiritualHelp_Index.asp.
3)
Confront besetting challenges of men. Men need to take action to correct detrimental patterns such as isolation. Cho Seung-Hui was described as a “loner”. Promise Keepers claims that a man needs brothers to help him keep his promises. Brothers help give us perspective on life, help us keep in balance. Every man needs the Lord. Men most frequently express anger more than any other emotion in life. Women regularly say “It’s challenging to love an angry man”. If we are one (an angry man), we need help to be self-controlled like the Holy Spirit desires us to be. For more suggestions on specific actions in your life and enrichment to help you, explore this website: www.promisekeepers.org.
Also, frequently put yourself in a place where you are with Christian brothers and you can hear from the Lord.

A suggested prayer to express your commitment to Jesus Christ:

Father, I’ve come home. Please make me your son. I turn from my sin. I accept your forgiveness made possible through Jesus Christ by His death and resurrection. I place my faith in Jesus Christ alone. I receive Him as my Savior and Lord. I want to follow and serve you. Let today be the beginning of my new journey as your son and a member of your family. You have always kept your promises. Help me to keep my promises, too. In Jesus’ name. Amen.