Genesis 4:1-9

I remember 1/28/1986—coming out of Kindergarten to my mom weeping; she’d just witnessed the explosion of the challenger rocket, death of 7 crew members.

I remember 9/11/2001—coming out of breakfast to the quad; heard a plane had struck the World Trade Center

On 7/13/2024, I was resting in my bed following a long and overheating walk with Erin and Daisy; she was outside watering the plants, and Seth and Kara were engaged in playing with toys and electronics when I saw the news—the former president of the United States had survived an attempted assassination attempt.  All I could think of was my kids—what should I do?  Should I tell them?  Should I wait?  What was the right thing to do?

I imagine every single one of you have a similar story to tell.  I did what I could to step back and away, but I kept finding my attention returning to the news—desperate to know the answers to a million questions.  Who would do such a thing?  Did anyone else get hurt?  Did the former president get severely hurt?  How could this happen?

Bit by bit, some of these questions were answered.  Others weren’t.  Some will be corrected and clarified in the days and weeks ahead, while some may never be.  But my heart and head kept coming back to one question phrased a hundred different ways: why would anyone do this?  What could ever motivate someone to do such a heinous thing?  So many lives will never be the same again: the lives of the wounded, the life of the innocent killed, the lives of those connected to all of them.  All the result of a heinous murderous and evil intent.