April 17, 2007 was one of the deadliest days of mass killing in the history of the United States. In the aftermath of the tragedy, various faith groups began to arise with alternatives for coping with the horrific event at Virginia Tech.
The following article was originally posted on Friday, April 20, 2007, following the massacre on the Virginia Tech campus. This article is being revisited in order to bring awareness to the growing trends of religious tolerance and acceptance.
Religious Tolerance in Tragedy, by Grayson B. Kent
Disclaimer: The following post is not written to suggest that recent, tragic occurrence on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA was merely a futile event in the course of an overall, greater issue facing society. The writer expresses sincere condolences to all individuals involved and affected by the foolishness of one deranged, young man. However, this post is purely a response to a news broadcast viewed by the writer.
In the aftermath of the worst mass killing in the history of the United States, all sides of the puzzle seem to point to a fundamental religious context which is, of course, being avoided by all mainstream media outlets. This can be seen from both the perspective of the grieving population of Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, and the entire United States of America, as well as, from the perspective of the perpetrator.
The scope of this writing will focus on religious integration into the coping process as directed during the convocation service held following the massacre. However, it is necessary to begin with a quote by a NBC news reporter. The reporter stated, “Students here [at Virginia Tech] are left to lean on a faith that has been so harshly tested this past week.” “Naturally,” the reporter continued, “tragic circumstances such as the events of this week bring rise to unanswered questions which human reasoning cannot solve. It is then that people must turn to faith to seek condolence.” The reporter’s story focused on the outreach by the faith community which is continually providing comfort to those left with emotional, mental, and spiritual disparity by the events which rocked the quaint Hokie community of Virginia Tech.
On Tuesday, following the nonsensical killing, Virginia Tech organized a university-wide convocation service in which to memorialize those unnecessarily gunned-down by the delusional character and pursue a spirit of comfort and a renewal of peace and unity on campus. (This service was nationally broadcast on all major news outlets.) At this service, members of the university’s administration publically shared their thoughts and tears with the faculty and students. The governor of Virginia returned from a business trip to Japan to attend the convocation and provide comfort and stability to a city in emotional and psychological chaos. Even the president of the United States offered words of condolence to the faculty students, family, and friends of Virginia Tech.
The service highlighted a spiritual search for answers that reached beyond the motivation of the secular speakers. It was at this point at which this writer was caught off guard and brought to a realization the true nature of the ‘religious’ status of today’s society. Here lies the purpose of this writing. The ‘religious’ element of this service included four speakers: a representative of the Islamic community, a representative of the Buddhist faith, a representative of the Jewish faith, and a representative from the Christian faith. Ultimately, for purposes of freedom of religion and freedom of speech, as well as the tendency toward religious tolerance, this variety of religious thought was to be expected.
The Islamic representative began the religious portion of the service by offering comfort in the name of Allah and the writings of the Quran. The Buddhist woman spoke about the search for inner peace in light of extenuating circumstances. The Jewish representative quoted the writer of Ecclesiastes in suggesting that everything had a time and a season which remained in the Master’s hands.
The Christian leader spoke last. As a Christian minister and writer, the opportunity which this minister had (both within the scope of those present in the auditorium and millions of viewers throughout the nation) was beyond explanation. This, in light of tragedy, was an opportunity to share the Word and the experience of finding comfort in the Word of God. He could have easily spoken of the comfort that comes with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As stated by the NBC news reporter, this tragedy was a time which tested the very faith of individuals. Thousands stood in shock, helplessly seeking answers to the void and pain in their hearts. Yet, instead of ministering the Word of comfort to the nation, this minister undermined the very essential nature of Christianity. Instead of proclaiming Christ as the source of peace, he stated, “this tragedy is much bigger than any one faith community can handle.”
While it initially saddened this writer that this minister squandered such a beautiful opportunity to reach out to the hurting with the message of peace through Christ, the thoughts of this writer ran far deeper than the initial sadness. Could it be possible that this same tolerance of religious acceptance would be the vehicle by which the one world religious system would be enacted in our society? The Bible proclaims that the great harlot would rise to power and deceive many. While the four speakers of the convocation were not in unity concerning their sources of peace, it appeared, however, that they were in unity in their belief that each was correct in their own sight and religious fulfillment.
The original article detailing the Virginia Tech shooting can be read on MSNBC’s website.
