I can’t begin to put words around the senseless tragedy that happened yesterday in Nova Scotia; such shocking, seemingly random, violence. Words cannot begin to explain why such a thing would happen nor capture the deep sorrow and grief that has left in its wake. 17 people dead after a shooting rampage, in what is thought of as quiet, peaceful rural Nova Scotia. The worst mass shooting in Canada’s history.
What are our reactions to such a bizarre and deadly act? Shock – yes. Disbelief – yes. Sorrow – yes. Searching for answers – yes. During this Easter season we are called to focus on hope and life out of death but that does not mean we ignore our feelings or what is going on around us. Sometimes we must just sit with these feelings and work our way through them and end with the discipline to look for signs of hope even in the midst of sorrow and grief.
One of the painful heartbreaks of this time of ‘sheltering in’ is the inability to gather. This is true for all who have lost loved ones not only those most recently effected in this terrible tragedy. At the time of a death, when we are mourning, one of the most helpful actions we can take is to gather and share in the loss by sharing in ritual, telling stories, sharing in food, and just being together. The impact of Covid 19 is not only the loss of so much economically and socially but also that, in the midst of these losses, we have lost the opportunity to gather and support one another at the time of death. Covid 19 is robbing us of the opportunity to express our humanity one to another. This has effected many families and today it is magnified by the tragic loss of so many in Nova Scotia. So, we make do. We hear the reports through television, radio, newspaper and virtual media. Social media is a means to communicate with one another and while virtual gathering is not the same it is, at this time, the best offering we can give.
Light a candle, spend some time in quiet reflection, read scripture, read poetry, whatever you can and need to do to soothe your soul. And as always, look for signs of hope, focusing on goodness and resurrection.
