So many senseless acts committed in one week. So many people dead, families torn apart and ordinary people shocked and saddened at what's been happening in Australia and around the world.
The senseless and shocking hostage crisis in Sydney ending with 2 brave and innocent people dead because of one person's madness and his distorted view of the world and how we should live our lives. Lindt Café Manager Tori's bravery in trying to get the gun away from the madman cost him his life, but by accounts this was the pivotal event which led to the storming of the café by police and the saving of so many lives including those of pregnant women and their unborn children. With sadness we learnt of Katrina's bravery in shielding her pregnant friend during the shooting only to lose her own life in the process. It's always heart-warming in these situations to hear about the courage of others while putting their own lives are in peril. It makes me wonder how I would react in a similar situation. I hope that I would have the bravery to stand up for others and not allow the actions of a madman or minority group to destroy my spirit.
Then there are all those poor children executed as they were trying to get an education in a country where it is difficult for this to happen. Children in the western world complain when woken in the morning and forced to go to school and hopefully learn something. Going to school is a right they take for granted and often complain about and parents are in trouble for not seeing their children go to school regularly. But in a country like Pakistan it can be difficult if not impossible for children to go to school and particularly if you are female. But to kill innocent children in revenge for military action....where is the justice? How can these monsters look themselves and their families in the eye and justify such brutality? How can the survivors of this attack return to school and innocent childhood ploys when they must always be living in fear and waiting for another such attack?
Then last Friday, close to home...far too close for comfort...8 children killed, allegedly stabbed &/or smothered by their mother. As I sat at work 10 minutes away this horrible act was taking place. I don't feel anger at this act, I just feel an overwhelming sadness for the 8 children and sadness and confusion for the mother as I wonder what happened to make her commit such a terrible act on her own children (7 of her own and 1 niece). Was it mental illness, lack of support, drugs???? There are talks of erratic behaviour leading up to the incident and the possibility of drug involvement (ICE). ICE one of the most dangerous drugs ever created has a reputation of completely changing people to make them incredibly aggressive, is reputed to be highly addictive and seemingly is out of control in society, but I was not expecting to hear of its suspected involvement in this case. I am trying to understand why people want to poison their bodies and lose control of their behaviour with such a drug. If it wasn't drugs what demon made this woman do what she did? My heart bleeds for the lives lost, for all of life's experiences these children will never know. As always a voice in my head screams..."if you didn't want them, just give them to me to love and look after".
And then yesterday the murders of 2 policemen sitting in their police car in New York. A senseless revenge killing by someone who decided he was above the laws of his society. That revenge was the only answer he could see for a just world...a 2 for 1 killing of police. Where is there ever justice in taking the life of an innocent person?
I call these acts senseless! To me they have no sense. Where is the sense in the deaths of so many innocent people. Where is the honour and bravery in these events?
On top of these senseless acts we have the deaths of 2 young people in the region. The 18 year old spearfishing on the reef and attached by a shark. Then the 30 year old free-diver drowning while snorkelling also on the Great Barrier Reef. So many young lives ended too soon and so close to Christmas. Christmas is a time when Christians celebrate life with friends and families, but now there are so many families when Christmas will never be a time of complete joy again.
I wish everyone a peaceful and joyful Christmas. To the victims of these tragedies and their families and friends, I wish you to find peace if not Joy this Christmas and I ask for a stop to senseless violence.
The senseless and shocking hostage crisis in Sydney ending with 2 brave and innocent people dead because of one person's madness and his distorted view of the world and how we should live our lives. Lindt Café Manager Tori's bravery in trying to get the gun away from the madman cost him his life, but by accounts this was the pivotal event which led to the storming of the café by police and the saving of so many lives including those of pregnant women and their unborn children. With sadness we learnt of Katrina's bravery in shielding her pregnant friend during the shooting only to lose her own life in the process. It's always heart-warming in these situations to hear about the courage of others while putting their own lives are in peril. It makes me wonder how I would react in a similar situation. I hope that I would have the bravery to stand up for others and not allow the actions of a madman or minority group to destroy my spirit.
Then there are all those poor children executed as they were trying to get an education in a country where it is difficult for this to happen. Children in the western world complain when woken in the morning and forced to go to school and hopefully learn something. Going to school is a right they take for granted and often complain about and parents are in trouble for not seeing their children go to school regularly. But in a country like Pakistan it can be difficult if not impossible for children to go to school and particularly if you are female. But to kill innocent children in revenge for military action....where is the justice? How can these monsters look themselves and their families in the eye and justify such brutality? How can the survivors of this attack return to school and innocent childhood ploys when they must always be living in fear and waiting for another such attack?
Then last Friday, close to home...far too close for comfort...8 children killed, allegedly stabbed &/or smothered by their mother. As I sat at work 10 minutes away this horrible act was taking place. I don't feel anger at this act, I just feel an overwhelming sadness for the 8 children and sadness and confusion for the mother as I wonder what happened to make her commit such a terrible act on her own children (7 of her own and 1 niece). Was it mental illness, lack of support, drugs???? There are talks of erratic behaviour leading up to the incident and the possibility of drug involvement (ICE). ICE one of the most dangerous drugs ever created has a reputation of completely changing people to make them incredibly aggressive, is reputed to be highly addictive and seemingly is out of control in society, but I was not expecting to hear of its suspected involvement in this case. I am trying to understand why people want to poison their bodies and lose control of their behaviour with such a drug. If it wasn't drugs what demon made this woman do what she did? My heart bleeds for the lives lost, for all of life's experiences these children will never know. As always a voice in my head screams..."if you didn't want them, just give them to me to love and look after".
And then yesterday the murders of 2 policemen sitting in their police car in New York. A senseless revenge killing by someone who decided he was above the laws of his society. That revenge was the only answer he could see for a just world...a 2 for 1 killing of police. Where is there ever justice in taking the life of an innocent person?
I call these acts senseless! To me they have no sense. Where is the sense in the deaths of so many innocent people. Where is the honour and bravery in these events?
On top of these senseless acts we have the deaths of 2 young people in the region. The 18 year old spearfishing on the reef and attached by a shark. Then the 30 year old free-diver drowning while snorkelling also on the Great Barrier Reef. So many young lives ended too soon and so close to Christmas. Christmas is a time when Christians celebrate life with friends and families, but now there are so many families when Christmas will never be a time of complete joy again.
I wish everyone a peaceful and joyful Christmas. To the victims of these tragedies and their families and friends, I wish you to find peace if not Joy this Christmas and I ask for a stop to senseless violence.
