When do we wake up? It seems like a horrible dream we are experiencing right now. How does one comprehend the murder of 32 students and teachers at a university without considering the possibility of it being a nightmare from which you will soon awaken? And yet the sad reality is that it is real. Cho Seung-Hui, from Centreville, Va., a senior in the English Department, shot and killed 32 innocent people before killing himself on Monday morning. No alarm clock sound coming. It is the world in which we live. Dangerous. Uncertain. Violent.

What do I as a Christian do? What is my role in this perilous moment of history? My family prayed last night for the families of the victims, including the family of the killer. Is there more to be done? Perhaps. News reports indicated that Cho Seung-Hui was a loner. He seems to be the kind of guy who stayed to himself. They also report that he had some neurotic tendencies. Most mass murderers do. Is it possible that nothing can be done to change certain situations? Is it possible that we are living in a world where we will simply have to live w/ the possibility that other shooting sprees will happen, that these kind of incidents will continue to be a part of our society? Is this the world we’ve created for our children?

Now don’t get me wrong. If you know me, you know I’m no pessimist. I think that some of the answers include more prayer. We are facing a spiritual force of evil every day. If we ever get time away from church activities, we should pursue greater involvement in our community.
More meaningful relationships with people in our spheres of influence will make an enormous difference. The bottom line is what Jesus told His followers – “You are the light of the world.” Christ Followers can be the difference makers. We can be light in the darkness. We can hope for the desperate. We can be passion in the place of apathy. We can be different. But it goes back to my first question: When do we wake up?