Virginia Tech: One Year of Healing after the Tragedy
Aimee Herd (April 16, 2008)
"We're created for something more than just answers. We're created to experience God."
(Blacksburg, VA)—The mood of students on campus at Virginia Tech—described by Matt Rogers, leader of New Life Christian Fellowship—is apprehensive, as media and news trucks return to the University in Blacksburg, Virginia, a year after the worst school shooting in U.S. history.
According to Rogers, many of the young people have experienced some healing from the horrible memory of Seung-Hui Cho, a Hokie English major, opening fire on campus killing 32 students and faculty before ending his own life. But many are not looking forward to revisiting that pain and sorrow, stirred up by reporters' questions.
Rogers told the Religion News Service (RNS) that, at the time of the shooting, he and other ministry leaders went into "automatic ministry mode," fielding questions from grieving students about why God would allow such an attack.
"I knew God was good. My question was how to experience Him as good when life isn't. It wasn't hard being a pastor," said Rogers. "The only thing that was difficult was going from being a pastor in a normal setting to being surrounded by the media and having to respond with answers on the moment. It wasn't that I was doubting my faith. But how do I experience it rather than it just being in my head?"
"We're created for something more than just answers. We're created to experience God," Rogers added.
The day on campus has reportedly been set aside as a day of remembrance for those who were killed exactly a year ago, and a candlelight vigil is scheduled for Wednesday evening.
No comments:
Post a Comment