Written by Bryan Crousoure
Mental Illness Ministry

As we witness the tragedy that has befallen so many in the horrific happening at Virginia Tech University, we turn to scripture and prayer.

Psalm 121:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills–from where will my help come?
My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
God will not let your foot be moved; God who keeps you will not slumber.
God who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from doing evil; God will keep your life.
The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time and forevermore.”

At first reading, it may seem that this psalm promises us that we will be protected from tragedies such as this terrible thing that has happened to others. If we look deeper to the promises of God, we see that God promises that nothing shall separate us from God.

The world that God created will not turn against us even when evil is carried out by other humans whose lives have been turned to hatred. God holds us when we come into life and when we go out of life. God promises that God will keep us from doing evil in retaliation for this evil. We are God’s forevermore and nothing shall separate us from God’s abiding love.

Let us pray:

Everpresent God:

We believe that You have already accepted into your hands the lives of those students and teachers who have been killed in this senseless tragedy. Today we ask that you hold in Your comforting hands the families who have lost a loved one. Console the entire community of Virginia Tech. Enable them to reclaim the shattered peace of a campus devoted to learning and living together in harmony. Forgive the one who has done this awful thing and help all of us to forgive as well.

If it comes our way to console someone, give us the strength to be present in days and nights of grief. Give us as families, as communities and as a society the means to recognize those whose lives are on a path of destruction of self and others. Lead us to the ways in which we can intervene in those lives so that love can replace hatred and life can be lived free of fear.

In Jesus name, who promised us that neither life nor death can separate us from You, Amen

If you or someone you know becomes spiritually overwhelmed by this tragedy, seek the guidance of a person whom you trust.

The Rev. Bryan Crousore
Anamosa First Congregational Church, Anamosa IA, 319-462-3796