Author: Rev. Charles Pugh

I want to warn you not to read this post unless you really think about what I am saying. My comments could be misconstrued, but they are meant to instructively challenge each of us toward real growth in our living. In my own life, and especially in the aftermath of tragedy, I have noticed a particular recurring pattern. It often takes a tragedy to surface the human emotion of compassion. While it is refreshing to see someone moved toward compassion, it is indicative when this is where the movement stops. This emotion of compassion illustrates how we all are made in the Image of God (though that image has been marred and clouded by sin).

In our American culture, which often lends itself toward narcissism, compassion is elevated as the answer to dealing with tragedy. Experiencing a strong emotion of compassion can actually ensnare us if we fail to realize that this then must lead to some action. It is only through compassionate action that we can learn and grow through the trials, temptations, and tragedies of life. This is part of what I will discuss in my book’s chapter on lessons for communities and reflected in #7 of the “Top Ten” Lessons (the first tab above): “Serve One Another.”

Virginia Tech’s motto is “Ut Prosim,” Latin for, “That I may serve.” The emphasis on serving others is one thing that helps make this campus greater than many other institutions. The example of many in the Virginia Tech community in the aftermath of the 04/16/07 Tragedy is one that should be emulated. One can also see how the worldwide outpouring of support for Virginia Tech demonstrates that many others as well understand something of the importance of this lesson.

Not everyone understands this, though, or understands it as fully as they should. We each can evaluate how much we have grown when we observe the action we take that springs from our response of compassion. We also must learn that an important part of truly prevailing through tragedy is to Serve One Another. Seung-Hui Cho was not thinking this way through the difficulties in his own life. Those whose lives were changed that dark day, had best not continue to grieve to the point of defeat or depression, but overcome their own tragedy by growing and prevailing through service.

Today is the day that the US Government begins issuing the economic stimulus rebate checks to tax paying Americans. Thinking about how we just passed the tax deadline and how we must be subject to the authorities that demand we pay taxes leads me to think more about authority and how that all relates to a major lesson to be learned from the Virginia Tech Tragedy and even my personal tragedy.

The second lesson in my “Top Ten” (see the tab above) is “Respect Authority.” Not respecting authority is a big problem seen throughout our culture. Many simply do what they feel like doing and hope that they can get around any laws or penalties from not obeying them. If others are doing something against the rules or the law and don’t seem to be in trouble, then it becomes even easier for us to justify what we do or do not do. Seung-Hui Cho had a problem with authority. For whatever reasons, he did not respect the authorities around him, nor the laws that would have kept him from hurting so many others.

Respecting authority requires submitting our will to another, be it the authority in the home, the authorities in the government, or the authorities at church. We all like to be our own authority, but we all are forced to be subject to the laws of nature. We should choose to always obey the ultimate authority of our Creator and His revealed Word and we must respect all the authority structures He has established. Romans 13:1ff makes this rather clear.

What a difference we could make in our culture if we all did more to respect the authorities GOD has established! We EACH will give an account to God for how we do this or not (a minister is not the only one accountable to God, as Rev. Jeremiah Wright alluded to in news comments today). Even when we disagree with an authority, we must submit to that authority unless it violates GOD’S ultimate clearly revealed authority.

Are you an Optimist, a Pessimist or might you call yourself a Realist? Whatever you see yourself as being has a lot to do with your success in life and your relationships with others. The way that your life goes largely depends upon your PERSPECTIVE. However, you cannot control many of the things that happen in your life. The recent emphasis on EARTH DAY should remind us of this simply truth. We do have some impact on our local environment, but many things are just beyond our ability to control. We need PERSPECTIVE!

For example, we cannot influence the Jet Stream winds which steer the forces that control our climate (and the weather effects all of us); we cannot make it rain or not rain (and we are dependent upon water); we cannot make the sun shine less or brighter (and we are dependent upon sunlight); we cannot effect the stars in the sky (and we often do not even pay attention to them); we cannot control the heart of another (but we can impact them). We need PERSPECTIVE!

If you have ever read the Bible book of Job, you can see (among many lessons) the importance of PERSPECTIVE. I encourage you to read this book, and particularly Job chapters 38-42. That will give you GOD’S PERSPECTIVE though the record of what HE specifically said to Job, who had gone through SO MANY TRIALS from nature, people close to him, and even personally (all directed by what GOD allowed Satan to do in his case). Running from your trials will not deliver you from them. Attacking your trials (or those bringing them to you) will not accomplish what GOD intends to teach you through them. You must “TRUST GOD and HIS WORD no matter what” (this is what I said to my children on 04/21/07, just before my more intense trials began) and have HIS PERSPECTIVE to live through your trials. Only then, will you learn and be able to handle whatever happens in life.

What PERSPECTIVE do you think Seung-Hui Cho had? His thinking was not in line with reality and GOD’S CREATED ORDER, and so he turned to his own way of thinking. This, of course, was motivated by the enemy of us all (the Devil). Seung-Hui Cho first tried to withdraw from his problems, then he tried to blame and attack others–and he ultimately did, sending 32 others and himself into eternity and impacting countless other lives through his horrible attack. Seung-Hui Cho needed GOD’S PERSPECTIVE. He needed to FEAR GOD ABOVE ALL (see the first lesson in my “Top Ten”). We needed to do more to help him have THIS PERSPECTIVE and we need to also do more to help others have THIS PERSPECTIVE, especially if we hope to prevent such a tragedy again.

You can see more of what I mean there from all that is written on this site, including the poem linked above (Learn to Prevail—32 to 33) that I was led to write on the first anniversary (04/16/08) of this terrible tragedy.

Isn’t it amazing how we all are interested in the news–Have you heard?, Did you know?, etc. Speaking of news, what do you think about the gun dealer who sold to Seung-Hui Cho (and incidentally, to the 02/14/08 Northern Illinois University shooter) coming to the Virginia Tech Campus tonight? This did get a pretty strong reaction from the VT Administration, issued through Virginia Tech spokesman, Larry Hincker.

Now, I know that many do not like to just sit and watch the cable news channels (I tend to do this😉), and even fewer spend time reading the news papers or news magazines. The Internet is a growing tool for learning more about news too. We all do want to keep in touch with what is going on! Much of what is talked about in your conversation is what is going on in your own life or with those you know. Much conversation is about sports related news, be it professional or local teams where friends or kids we know are playing. Quite a bit of news that people are interested in is entertainment related. We, by nature are curious people and want to find meaning and purpose in life.

News of 9/11/01 spread fast and most of us were glued to the Television for days and even weeks as details of this dominated the rest of the year. News of the 04/16/07 Virginia Tech Shootings dominated what people talked about in a somewhat similar way and gained worldwide attention (even last week again on the one-year anniversary–see my post on that day-04/16/08). There is PLENTY of news in my own life related to this tragic event, which is driving me to speak to others and write a book to share things I am learning that can also help all of us if we let it. The news related to my situation offers several thoughts that should concern each of us too–thoughts about where we are in our culture; thoughts about the rights we enjoy, but often take for granted; thoughts about the blessings we often neglect to see; thoughts about the freedom we all desire.

Friend, I trust you will take time to learn more about how GOD has been working in my life through this VT Tragedy and my ongoing personal tragedy. I know it can help you THINK more about concerns in your own life and even encourage you to TRULY PREVAIL through your own life circumstances. News here can keep you in touch with what GOD is doing through my life and how HE wants to work in greater ways through each of us.

News that is positive is just not as interesting. Have you ever considered why? Well, news that is GOOD NEWS, when you are in need of hearing good news, is a GREAT BLESSING, and you will do all you can to learn more about it. I encourage you to look at the GOOD NEWS–THE GOSPEL–tab above and see the ULTIMATE GOOD NEWS! If that does not particularly interest you, then you should ask yourself why and what that says about your perceived needs? You should then check out the TOP TEN LESSONS tab, really thinking about each and looking up the Scripture references. Look for more detail with those as I draw out lessons we all need to learn through the VT Tragedy and my personal tragedy.

Today is EARTH DAY. I think it is great that a day is set aside for us to think further about our earth and how we need to be good stewards of it. The fact is, that there is no “mystical power” called “mother nature” that governs the earth or brings retribution upon those who mistreat her. Our Creator did establish laws in nature (which even allow us to have Universities to help do experimentation and research). He also established a principle of Reaping and Sowing (e.g. Galatians 6:7-10) that impacts all of us (good and bad). Please do not fall into the trap of “worshipping the creation more than the Creator.” Romans 1:25ff tells what is reaped from sowing that! Does not that description in Romans 1 portray much of the modern American culture?

The first lesson and priority above all lessons that we MUST learn and that would properly order our lives is to “Fear GOD above all (e.g. Psalm 33:8).” When we really do this, everything else in life falls into its proper place. I will blog more about that in a future post. If a person properly fears the GOD of Creation, they will not bring theirself to such a horrible point as did Seung-Hui Cho. The news of another plot in South Carolina yesterday for a Columbine style attack is yet another illustration of what Romans 1 says would happen when we don’t Fear GOD above all.

Dear reader, PLEASE learn this most important lesson in life! You will have the right perspective of life and of the Creation and our earth if you do so. The earth amazingly reflects the glory of GOD and HIS order and character–Romans 1:20 (though we do see a problem in it…more there later too😉).