Commentary by Rev. Michael VandenBerg
It has been a difficult couple of weeks for many in Lawrence Township schools.
A very beloved member of our community, Susan Jordan, principal of Amy Beverland Elementary, was killed in a tragic accident. The natural question to ask is “Why?” The more difficult piece of this puzzle is to admit that this type of tragedy occurs regularly in life and that for those of us left behind, grief, sorrow, questions, and even facing our own fears about death can be, for us, overwhelming.
The day after the tragedy, I spent the day at the Benjamin Harrison YMCA, as their volunteer chaplain, helping where I could. The YMCA had opened its doors to any and all who were in need of emergency childcare in light of the school closings or, in other cases, just in need of a degree of normalcy. Those who came were able to find both. Questions got asked and answered as best they could, but there was also a time to play, have fun and just be a child again to remind them that life still goes on and is good.
One of the things I have noticed in dealing with tragic community events is that when trouble finds our children, as parents we tend to do more talking than listening. Maybe it is our own discomfort with the situation, maybe it is just wanting to take the pain our children are experiencing away, maybe it is our pain we are uncomfortable with, but in any case, what I see is loving parents, giving far more information than their children are asking for. We deal with our children the way we would want to be dealt with, full of answers and probing and existential insights.
Children, on the other hand, want normalcy. They want to feel safe and secure again. They want to find their way back to where they were before life changed the rules and for the most part are very well adapted to do so with just a little help.
God understands our insecurities and fears as well and gives us His assurance that we can take heart and feel secure once again, for He is still life’s victor. This is a lesson that not only children need to learn and know, but one that all God’s children, young and old, need to cling to when life gets tumultuous. Love conquers life’s tragedies, both in word and in deeds and when we participate in showing love in the face of life’s tragedies, we are participating in God’s loving solution. A wise man once told me, “Tough times never last, but tough people (loving people) do.”
