In December 2007 a young man walked into an Omaha store. Eight people died that day there, plus that young man, and I don't think we have any real answers on why. For hours I searched and prayed for an understanding, and that turned into grief and sorrow when I received news that one of the victims was family to people where I was serving. These people were more than my parishioners, they were my friends - who taught me so much about living in the area as well as little extra things, like taking the afternoon off when the football game is coming on, or why farmers work in the middle of the night when there's snow.
In the days leading up to Memorial Service for that family member, as well as sometime afterwards, I recall the outpouring of love from the community, the nation, and the world. I mean we really received cards and notes from all over in our office.
But even with all of the love and prayers from around the world, the heartache was still so great.
So coming home on Palm Sunday and getting the news that three people were killed for no other reason than they were where they were when they were made my head hurt.
And to see some response posts on news feeds point to politics makes me sick.
Three people died because of someone's misguided view of someone else. For whatever reason, this person set out to hurt people, and if a certain group of people was his intended target, he failed miserably - yet it doesn't negate the pain and hate of the action.
I imagine that a colleague will have the same response of notes and cards as his church prepares for the funeral of two of the victims this week, but it doesn't negate hate.
The difference between then and now is that the Palm Sunday incident was a true action of hate. A hate for someone who had done nothing. A group of people who are identified by a name, culture, religion, history - Jewish, just as Christianity is.
And what hurts is the same hateful words that I hear... is it a misunderstanding, or not hugged enough as a baby, or have never learned to open their heart to someone different (yet when I asked one person what the difference between a Christian and Jewish person was, they couldn't tell me - and got "testy" when I remind them that "Christianity" is a religion based on the life and teachings of a Jesus (a Jewish person).
My prayers go out to all of those involved with the Palm Sunday situation in Kansas - the victims, their families, the responders, the witnesses, the clergy and staff of the churches, the support people, the many others that are "behind the scene" that people never realize.
And yes, I pray for the person who, for whatever reason, has hate in the heart, that there is an understand, an epiphany, a warming, a sense of the Spirit, something! Just something!
