FAMILY PRIORITIES INC

The nation and world continue to mourn over the massacre at Virginia Tech. We respond in shock, anger, fear, worry, and disbelief. How could that young man, Cho Seung-Hui, commit such evil? Many analyze the death of thirty-two students and the wounding of many others. Many scrutinize the images sent to NBC news and seek to peer into the mind of this madman. Many ponder, how did our world get in such a twisted condition?

For me, the root of this current crisis resides in the family. Something in the family-past took place to cause Seung gradually to emerge as a mass murderer. Imagine being an eight-year old boy removed from his native country. He left familiar surroundings to journey with the immediate family into American society. Such a move soon made him the target of his school mates. He was a foreigner who spoke funny and was very shy.

Somewhere in all this, the mom and dad needed to intervene and help the son deal with rejection. Apparently, nothing worked to prohibit the emotional distress of feeling rejected. Surely his mother and father had some knowledge of his struggles. Eventually Cho arrived at Virginia Tech and named himself "The Question Mark." Again, he lived isolated, alone, and continued to bore himself deeper into the dark world where the severely rejected may go. Ultimately this lead Cho Sueng-Hui to seek revenge, to destroy the innocent, and take his own life.

Time for the point: Parents, we better keep a very close, attentive eye and heart on our children. Rejection left unchecked can motivate our sons and daughters to become people we don't know. So, we must love and accept them with unconditional love. We must listen to them to learn of their challenges and fears. We must join them to overcome barriers and difficulties in their lives. We must insure them that they never have to face this big planet alone. Most importantly, we must teach them that Jesus Christ is the key to acceptance. In Ephesians 1:6 (KJV) we find that God has "accepted us in the Beloved." Mothers and fathers are responsible to secure this message into the spirit and mind of their children.

Parents, don't you dare ignore the message of Virginia Tech. Both the murderer, the murdered, and injured are someone's son or daughter. At the bottom of this horrible event is a story about families. Do all you can to love yours all you can as long as you can.