Author: Rev. Charles Pugh

One thing coming to attention through the manifesto comments of Seung-Hui Cho as well as through the events of my own personal tragedy following 04-16-07 is the difference between “religion” and “relationship.”  Do you know what this difference is?  Seung-Hui Cho had an idea about religion and took note of what he saw as hypocrisy in those who claimed to be Christian or religious.  He set himself up as a judge of this, leading to his terrible actions and the massacre during that now infamous day—04-16-07.  There is only ONE JUDGE of human behavior and we must all give an account to this ONE!  Religion will not help you.  You must have a relationship with this ONE WHO will be your JUDGE; this ONE WHO is your CREATOR and WHO became your SAVIOR.

Most people are religious.  They worship some idea of GOD and are faithful in varying degrees to a system of belief that they deem best to follow.  Religion can be a good thing, but not unless it is founded upon a true Relationship; otherwise, it is hollow, yet a very dangerous thing.  Persecution takes place in the name of religion.  Wars have been and are nearly always fought over differences in religious beliefs.  Religion may actually harm you and it certainly will not save you–you need a Relationship!

Are you consciously religious?  It has been said that people are incurably religious–they will worship virtually anything (including their own self and mind).  Even atheism has the tenants of religion in the way its “believers” are so committed to following this “non-belief” in any GOD through some form of Naturalism.  There is a real GOD WHO is our Creator and WHO manifested HIMSELF in the PERSON of JESUS CHRIST.

This God-Man sacrificed HIS life blood as a substitute for the sins of the world.  HE offers the gift of salvation from the penalty of sin to anyone who will repent (change their mind) about their own condition (or religious standing) and come to accept that JESUS CHRIST died for them, was buried, then ROSE AGAIN!  HE offers to have a living Relationship with whoever will accept HIM as their Savior.

Please consider the Truth of what I am saying here.  Check out “The Gospel” tab above for related Scriptures to consider.  Look over the other blogs and items on this site for more glimpses of Truth–more ways to help you prevail over sin and over any tragedy that may occur in your own life.  Learn to forsake religion alone and nurture a Relationship that will lead to pure religion!

Technology is what is allowing you to now read what I have written.  Technology gives you the pathway to express your thoughts and communicate with others all around the world.  Advances in technology amaze us at times, yet most adapt and come to utilize the benefits of controlling more of their surroundings with information about this real world we live in.  Technology even allows us to create and imagine living in an alternate world, apart from reality.  Technology can benefit the quality of our lives, but it cannot prevent tragedy; it can, however, lead us to Truth!

Virginia Tech University is a technological example to the world and this town of Blacksburg has even been dubbed, “the most wired town in America.”  This technological University is nestled in a rural mountain area, allowing for people to have a better chance to balance technology with the reality of nature.  One example of this is how the strength of the engineering program here interacts with areas such as agriculture.  Many companies in town are building on these discoveries, even in areas such as animal cloning.  Education that craftily utilizes knowledge (i.e. technology) can do much to improve the quality of life; it can also cause damage.  Virginia Tech does seek to “put knowledge to work” and improve the quality of our lives.

No matter how much we learn about or even control our surrounding environment, we cannot prevent all tragedies.  Just look at the ongoing tragedies all over the United States this year through the forces of tornadoes.  The tornado that touched down this past Tuesday in nearby Roanoke, Virginia (the first there in over 34 years) was observed by the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, though a breakdown in technology prevented some from being warned (a communication cable had recently been accidentally cut).  We can do more to observe, inform and even predict these storms, but we cannot control where they go, or what damage they cause.  Technology cannot prevent all tragedies and it cannot control the human heart (04/16/07 is an example of this).

How are you using technology?  Is it helping improve the quality of your life?  Is it leading you toward reality and truth or are you using it to create a false reality?  I pray that through the means of technology in the aftermath of the 04/16/07 Tragedy and my own personal tragedy, many will be led to Truth!

Today has been my personal 18th Wedding Anniversary.  It is a tragic day for me this year, in that this is the first year since my marriage to my wife in 1990 that we have not been together or spoken at some point (I did get to at least see my wife last year on our 17th Anniversary when I was being extensively evaluated at the second involuntary mental hospital commitment).  Now, you may not have much interest in my own personal situation (it is currently still tragic), but there is much that can be learned from my own tragedy that ensued after the Virginia Tech Tragedy.  In fact, the third of my “Top Ten Lessons” (see above tab) is “Encourage Marriages.”  This is not only personally relevant, but is appropriately relevant for helping everyone prevail in the aftermath of the VT Tragedy and even relevant in helping to prevent such a tragedy from occurring yet again.

Marriage is the foundational relationship for ALL of society.  It is EXTREMELY important that we protect and encourage the sanctity of marriage and bolster the relationship between a husband and wife.  No wonder there is such a battle in the United States over what marriage actually is.  It is ludicrous and defying of nature to say that there could be any “marriage” between two people of the same sex.  California judges have it wrong, as do these other states that try to come up with some “gay marriage” acceptance or “same sex” union.  People of the same gender can certainly have close relationships, but the reality of the way we are made forces us to see (if we acknowledge reality) that only a man and woman can propagate the human race through their physical union.  Even if people try to manipulate the Creation to artificially inseminate or even work with the DNA to try to clone, they are FORCED to still use the elements of the sperm of a man, and the egg of a woman.

Why do we have so much divorce, even in religious circles?  Why are so many marriages dysfunctional?  Do we not understand that this dysfunction affects the children?  Even if a child chooses to go astray from a good upbringing, if marriages around this one are strong, it will protect that child from coming to such introspection and rage as Seung-Hui Cho chose.  If you’re interested in more of what I mean there, you’ll have to ask me or wait for when the book will come out.

What are you doing to encourage marriages around you?  If currently married, what might you be doing to encourage and edify your own marriage?  If people around my wife and I would simply encourage our marriage as they should, our family would be back together today.  Our churches and pastors will have a lot of explaining to do (on that judgment day that we will all face) if they do not WAKE UP and begin doing much more to encourage the marriages around them!

Knowledge is important and is the foundation we build upon to make decisions (of course, Wisdom goes beyond Knowledge, making proper application).  Communication is different from Knowledge.  When there is Communication, Knowledge is passed on so that the one receiving the Information understands it.  Beyond Communication comes Action.  Information, Communication, and Wise Action must take place to achieve the desired result.  If there had been proper Information shared to the point of Communication followed by Wise Action, then the VT Tragedy could have been avoided.

Some tragedy cannot be avoided.  It happens due to the decision making of others or is simply a part of life and the world we live in.  Some tragedy can be avoided when there is good information communicated leading to wise action.  The impact of any tragedy can be lessened when these things are at least true in the aftermath.

Creation gives us much information, if we will take time to see it.  GOD has also revealed much to us through HIS Inspired Word.  His Spirit Communicates to those who will hear through this Holy Word.  GOD has also revealed HIMSELF to us in the Person of The Son–JESUS CHRIST.  When we are informed by GOD through HIS Creation, and we receive the Communication of HIS Word, we can Act upon Its Truth and come to know GOD personally through JESUS CHRIST.

Do you know GOD personally?  If your faith is properly founded (and thus the right kind of faith), then it will lead to action!  Where are you in this process of understanding?  Please search more on this website to find keys to understanding and pointers on where to look in Scripture.  You can respond properly and truly prevail through any tragedy, if you choose to do so.

Today is officially Memorial Day in the United States.  It is a good thing that the United States sets aside a day to remember those who have given their lives for the freedom of living that those in this Country can enjoy.  We need to make ourselves remember; we so easily forget.  Do you know someone who gave their life to preserve our freedom?  Do you know someone who is giving their life for this now?  We dare not forget that there is a price for freedom.  Suffering and tragedy is always along the path to bring about or even to keep true freedom.  The 04/16/07 Virginia Tech Tragedy is no different.  It will either help us along the path toward individual and collective freedom, or else it will distract us and freedom will be eluded due to our detour.

If we want to stay free, we must stay on the right path and endure through tragedy.  We will prevail by going through the suffering, not running from it or fighting against it.  Do you fight against your suffering?  Do you run from it?  It is what it is.  It is a part of this sin-cursed world that we live in.  It will not be a part of eternity, but is temporarily here to help us learn–learn to be free by coming to know and depend upon the ONE Who is Holy and Free.

Do you remember the last encouraging thing that anyone did for you?  Do you remember how you have been blessed in the past or might you be more focused on the negatives in life?  Have you been detoured from the path toward true freedom?   Negative things do happen and tragedies do take place; this is the reality of the world that we live in.  The ultimate Tragedy is that our Holy GOD had to suffer the rejection and wrath of men in dying for our sins.  Your own ultimate tragedy will be if you fail to recognize what JESUS CHRIST endured for you.

Friend, please take time to REMEMBER.  REMEMBER HIS Sacrifice.  REMEMBER HIS Resurrection!  REMEMBER the promises HE has given us for Hope.  Check out the other blogs, poems and the lessons on this site.  It will help you remember.  It will help you see how YOU can truly prevail through the suffering and tragedies of life!