How can a parent
possibly explain to a child why someone would go and shoot children in a
school? It is the question that is being asked all around the nation at dinner
tables as Christmas is also paradoxically anticipated.
How can this be? And
how can we possibly explain this to our children.
Since it was my
eldest son that told me instantly about the shooting that day-as with Twitter
now-information is almost instant….I have since struggled with this subject.
In the last few
family nights we have read articles about tragic events in the news and
although hard, I think good for kids to discuss these and their feelings
surrounding these awful circumstances.
The cyber world in
the last few days is overloaded with advice on this very subject
A great blog that I
read daily offered some advice on how to discuss with children, but I have to
say I was very disappointed in her approach. Although she is usually someone
who I look up to on her blog for advice with kids, her approach this time I
found a real let down: “And may all those families
affected by the darkness from last week feel that light from those around them,
and from God who loves them dearly”. And
to top it all off a picture of her own perfect smiling family reflected in a Christmas
decoration.
As much
as I find it a good thing to look to a higher power in times of sadness, and
would imagine it could be comforting on some level, I somehow think this blog
might be taking this a bit far. I am not sure these families right now are
feeling God’s love for them right now.
Better yet they might be asking why the hell any God or the world in general
would allow their children to be murdered? How could this happen to their
innocent children? Why would someone they pray to 5 times a day do this to
them? A special lesson reserved just for them?
So I
wanted to leave a comment on the blog but did not have the courage as I am
certain that the words were not meant to offend since normally this is a
beautiful, religious, amazing blog…….but I am sure that the writer did offend
many who have lost a child or lived a tragedy and the last thing they feel is
how much God must love them.
But it
got me thinking. How do we explain this tragedy to our children? What can
anyone possibly say? How do we as parents explain something so very sick and
inexplicable? And how do we continue to believe in good in people and faith
under such terrible circumstances? There is a part of me that really does
understand those who turn to God in such moments of tragedy, I truly and
sincerely do.
On the other
hand to go as far as saying that God is loving these families at a time like
this or other articles I have read this week saying it was “God’s Will and that
there is always meaning in tragedy, “or that we should pray for the soul of the
poor murderer”…this is where religion in my opinion causes war and not peace.
This is where non believers, or semi believers lose faith completely. When such a message is broadcasted. Instead of “it is important to keep the faith in what you believe in in such difficult times or “this time God was not able to help for whatever reason he did not hear our prayers I hope he can use his power to comfort us now”
This is where non believers, or semi believers lose faith completely. When such a message is broadcasted. Instead of “it is important to keep the faith in what you believe in in such difficult times or “this time God was not able to help for whatever reason he did not hear our prayers I hope he can use his power to comfort us now”
I love that
on my own blog I am able to explore some
of these thoughts and issues as so very, very complex. And also to read the
thoughts of others, even if I may not agree. It opens my mind to diversity and
that is always the goal for me
I have
got some thinking to do about this…and a lot of it before Family Night tonight
where I will try and tackle for the second time the discussion of this tragedy
with our own innocent kids.
