Apr 19 2007
When Tragedy hits close…
I like the rest of our country was horrified by the tragic events at Virginia Tech. I was moved by the stories of families who will forever be changed. However I didn’t know anyone so I could only watch from afar.
We were warned about copycats and unfortunately they are occurring. Yesterday one of our active members asked me and Debra our secretary if we had heard about the gun incident a West Mecklenberg High School? It seems a young man was upset about his girlfriend breaking up with him. He went to school with a gun and flashed it then sped away. By the time the police got there he shot himself dead. My first thought was he connected with our church. No he wasn’t.
This morning I arrived at the Starbucks I go to every morning a little later than usual. (I’m writing from free wi-fi nearby) The store was different than usual.  There were more partners working and I didn’t recognize most of them. There are at least 5 people from Corporate. One partner who knows me well told me that the reason there are so many people here is the young man who killed himself worked here! Sigh…. I know him. He has served me coffee. In fact during Spring Break he was here everyday in the mornings.
I talked to one of the corporate people who sees me in here often. I told him that I was a pastor and a trained chaplain (Marketplace Ministries for 5 years). I know they have their own people but these people know me. I’m hanging around a little longer to see if anyone needs to talk. I’m sure it will be in the next weeks.
Please pray for the family of this young man, the students at West Meck High School(where many of our church members go), and the employees here at Starbucks. They are pretty shook up. I just want to be here if they need to talk.
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8 responses so far
I will pray for you and them, kevin. It’s good that you can be there for them.
That’s being a true pastor, Kevin. I pray God will continue to use you today and for the family that is so stunned and grieving.
Sounds like something I’ve read in the Bible about “being in the world and not of the world”. I’ll be praying for you. I’m glad that you have broken out of the Christian “bubble” and are ministring to regular folks, just like Jesus.
Kevin, I’m so glad God has placed you in the right place at the right time. We just never know how God will prepare us for a time our gifts are needed. Our prayers are with your community, church, and ministry.
Thanks for being there. The people at the Starbucks may never want to talk, but they’ll always remember you were there if they wanted to–and they’ll always be able to say they saw Jesus in their midst . . . in you. Blessings.
Most merciful God, Whose wisdom is beyond our
understanding: Deal graciously with his family and
his friends in their grief. Surround them with Your love,
that they may not be overwhelmed by their loss, but
have confidence in Your goodness, and give them
strength to meet the days to come; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Fidelium animae â per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace.
May the souls â of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Thanks for sharing this. In these past few days, I’ve tried to think about people I’ve encountered in the past weeks and months, as well as those I know from church and from my neighborhood, who exhibit signs of depression or despair. I know, it shouldn’t take a tragedy to remind me that I should be looking for people to minister to all the time, but that’s just my small way of responding to this tragedy. This needs to be an experience that is more than just news from somewhere far away.
Let’s not forget the family of the perpetrator, and how ashamed and sickened they’re probably feeling, especially when they fled the poverty of Korea in search of the American dream.
As for Cho- he was, in all likelihood, a very ill boy.
BTW Kevin, this black and white format is VERY hard on the eyes!!!