On VA Tech

4/20/07- Today, the world shone in maroon and orange trim. People wore VA Tech hats and shirts. The school colors cracked in the wind, adorning the car flags that inundated the roadways. I wore my VA Tech T-shirt. I am writing this on April 20th, four days after the horrific events of Monday, April 16, 2007. I live a little over an hour from the Tech campus. I got my bachelor’s degree from Tech and took master’s classes there from 2004 through last year. Everyone here has some connection to VA Tech, either went there or knows someone close who did. Virtually everyone in the U.S. knows of the tragic events of April 16th. Some outside the U.S. may not: On Monday, a student entered a dormitory and several classrooms with two hand guns. He took thirty two lives before ending his own.

We’ve had to continue with our lives, but we’ve all been touched by these events. I’ve felt like I’ve been operating in a fog. The past few days have been ones of spiritual extremes. We’ve heard of the horrifying events, we’ve been honored to receive the President of the United States, and we’ve stood silent in candlelight vigils. We’ve witnessed the darkest recesses of the human heart, the unfathomable violence of a broken soul, and we’ve gazed upon the brightest pinnacles of humanity, complete empathy, compassion, and love. It is in our darkest hours that we see most clearly the Light in the world. May God keep the lights that left this earth on April 16th.

© 2007 Kurt Venables      

Who We Are  |  The Founder  |  The Magazine
Join Us!  |  Links  |  Home

Contact Us!  

© 2007  Spirituality & Community.  All Rights Reserved.