Ever since Andrew sent word last week that two students at Virginia Tech had been brutally murdered at a camping area near Blacksburg (story here), I have been scanning the news and the internet for more information. He had told us these were students involved in Campus Crusade (his housemates are involved with that ministry).
The national media seems to have overlooked this story in the frenzy of coverage over the death of Ted Kennedy and the Michael Jackson funeral, with the unfortunate exception of CNN’s Nancy Grace (who would have given it top billing if she had someone to pin some blame or scandal on). I missed the “coverage” last night on her show, and the transcript is not available on the CNN site, but I did find this clip this morning and was so heartened by the words of the two fathers of the victims that I wanted to post a link to it here (apologies for the 30-second ad at the beginning).
What a testimony to the Spirit of God living in these two families, that these dads, both of whom I’m sure have spent countless hours weeping over the past few days, would make a point to honor their kids by emphasizing the same thing they believe their children would emphasize if given 30 seconds on national television: that love of Jesus Christ and a saving faith in him is everything.
Nancy Grace is, of course, a master of crocodile tears, so it’s hard to tell whether her emotional response at the end is real. But whether she gets it or not, I love how the two dads are a clear picture to those who are really listening, that there are things to consider beyond our loss and grief, which are temporal. Eternity is at stake, and they seem to be speaking from deep comfort and peace that their children are with Christ and they will see them again. Their words reflect a living faith, and a living hope: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
May God richly bless them and their families, the friends of these two young people, and all who are affected by their loss with deep peace, unending hope, and strong faith in the Savior, who longs to give even the unknown gunman the gift of new life.
