NEWTOWN, CT. KINDNESS IN THE WAKE
As I am sure we all have heard, a tragedy occurred in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14th of last year. Twenty-six lives were suddenly taken by a gunman who forced his way into the Sandy Hook Elementary school, killing twenty children and six adults. Since then, tens of thousands of people have remembered them in different ways. Cards, flowers, toys, monetary gifts, and enough teddy bears that every person in Newtown could receive two are simply a few of the things people have sent to the families of the children who lost their lives. So many gifts have been given, the town requested that if people want to give, they should consider giving to organizations that could use it more at this point. Newtown has been overwhelmed, in a good way, by the amount of people that rose up to send them gifts showing that they cared and sympathized with them for their overwhelming loss. One idea to remember Newtown is called “26 Random Acts of Kindness.” Tens of thousands of people have joined this movement, and a Facebook page has been created which already has over one hundred thousand likes on it. The idea is to perform twenty-six selfless acts of kindness, whether it be paying for the person behind you in the drivethru or baking some treats for a teacher to show that you appreciate them. This is one easy way to pay
honor to the loss of these 26 lives. what if instead of bullying him for his Many people have remembered disorder, his peers had been kinder? Newtown in their own way, from What if he had been treated fairly New York City Children’s Chorus and encouraged instead of always singing “Silent Night” on Saturday being hurt and discouraged? Night Live, to football player “Our very own Calvary Academy Victor Cruz writing the name of students wrote over a hundred the child who idolized him on his cleats during a game. A group of cards to the children at Sandy Hook twenty children from Newtown Elementary School to show we care.” sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in memory of the twenty As Christians, it is part of our duty children whose voices are now silent. to love and set a good example to They recorded it and the song is now others. 1 John 3:1 says “See what being sold on Amazon and ITunes kind of love the Father has given to with the profits going to several us, that we should be called children charities in Newtown. Many schools of God; and so we are. The reason sent snowflakes, cards, money, and, why the world does not know us is most importantly, prayers. that it did not know him.” Even our very own Calvary We never know what effect we Academy students wrote over a may have on the lives we daily hundred cards to the children at touch, even through the smallest Sandy Hook Elementary School to interactions such as the drive-thru show we care. If students chose, customer behind us, or a clerk they could write several cards to the at a store. In this world full of sin Sandy Hook children. I’m certain they and despair, without God there is were very touched by the kindness no chance of hope. Evil touches and compassion our students so everyone’s lives, even the most lovingly showed. innocent. Out of their grief, many people There will never be a perfect think the solution is greater gun love until the day that Jesus Christ control and more laws to control returns, but until then, as Christians, who can and cannot buy guns. shouldn’t we do as much as we Perhaps this is part of the solution can to prevent tragedies like this to less violence, but is that the real from happening? Galatians 5:22question at heart? 23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, The shooter had Asperger’s (a form joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, of autism) and had potentially been goodness, faithfulness, gentleness the victim of physical and verbal and self-control. Against such things abuse at school by other peers. This there is no law.” in no way justifies what he did, but Written by Tamazin Moffett CALVARY
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