I prepared remarks for this morning with regard to the tragedy in Orlando, but when I jettisoned my third point due to time constraints those remarks were unintentionally lost as well. Please accept my apologies – those suffering loss are certainly deserving of our attention (at the very least). Currently my prayers are for the horrific wait that many are enduring who have yet to know the fate of their loved ones. I hope authorities can see past the “letter of the HIPAA law” to the spirit of the law and clear the way for appropriate information to flow as needed. It’s always encouraging and inspiring to see people take whatever simple actions they can (the blood-giving lines are nearly endless) in order to help however they can. There are a lot of average, normal, good people in the world, and it seems like there is so little we can do at such tragic times – but that’s not true. In addition to serving in (Thank you!) or supporting/appreciating government and law enforcement agencies who do what they are created to do, there is an intensely personal response to be made today: Consider where the anger, jealousies, greed, etc live in our own heart…admit it, apologize to those effected, and address it. If we fail to realize that the dividing line of badness doesn’t run between people groups, but through every human heart (Solzhenitsyn), the world cannot stop slouching toward Gomorrah.
