The tragedy in Fort Hood, Texas and what we can do about it.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest

Matthew 11:28

This week we saw yet another tragedy at the military base in Fort Hood, Texas when a soldier battling depression and anxiety took the lives of three people over an argument that turned deadly. Apparently, he was in the process of getting psychiatric help for Post traumatic stress disorder. As I read this story I was reminded yet once again the importance of listening to peoples stories and truly walking with them to help them heal from whatever is causing them pain. Yet, in America our tendency is to help people bury their pain thinking it is a good thing to do so. We forget that helping them bury their pain may help for a short while, but when they go home they are once again bombarded with the prior images that caused that pain.

Last night my wife and I watched the movie Hotel Rwanda about the Rwandan genocide that resulted in the deaths of millions. The protagonist in this movie was a black man who ran the hotel Rwanda which became a safe haven for many people brought to him by Priests, aide workers, and the UN peace keepers. He used his monetary resources to buy protection from the militia's until the General decided he didn't have enough to buy protection and left him to fend for himself. He was able to save many lives with his advice that the ones who were at the hotel should save themselves by writing personal pleas for asylum. Just as the last of the pool water had been used up for cooking, help finally arrived in the form of aid buses to take to safety those who's asylum cases were heard. In one painful scene after driving over dead bodies of Rwandan's who were gunned down he could no longer contain his emotion and found himself cupping his hand.

In another scene he cradled his wife's cross necklace as a reminder of strength of one's faith.

As I watched this scene I could not help but envision my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ standing with outstretched hands exclaiming to the world before him "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest".

There are people in this country and in this world who are crying out for someone to notice them. The most important need we have is to love and to be loved. The next time you see someone really struggling get down on their level and look into their eyes and listen to their story. It just may be the beginning of healing for them.