But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15
This past week has been a time of such shock, sadness, and grief as we once again grieve with the families who lost a child, teacher, or friend in the school massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. We know of at least nineteen innocent children along with two dedicated teachers who died in the shooting. As the story unfolded on Tuesday, it was impossible to process the details of such a heinous act being committed here, yet again, in this country of ours.
One word or sentiment which was repeated time and time again during interviews with families and friends of the victims was unprepared. People alleged that the school security employees, the local authorities, and even the state was unprepared to handle an incident of this kind.
This statement reminded me of the teachers, staff, and administrators all across our land who spend a lot of time and effort doing their job of being prepared in their classrooms and schools every day. We, as teachers, have always been required to teach the students for which we are responsible the ways to safely conduct themselves during a fire drill, a tornado drill, or a lockdown. In short, we taught them then, and we teach them now how to be prepared in any and all of these situations.
Yet, how can one adequately prepare themselves or others for the actual occurrence of such an unimaginable event? In my memory, I remember vividly the Cuban Missile Crisis of October, 1962 where the world waited for 13 long days while seemingly on the brink of a nuclear war. The folks in our small towns canned vegetables, stocked up on water, and sought a room of refuge for their family if the event of war became reality. We were unprepared for things such as this.
My small town lived through the horrific murder of The Alday family on May 14, 1973 when three escaped convicts shot and killed three members of this precious family. We were all unprepared to deal with the horrors and brutality that one human could inflict upon another, innocent though they were!
The question is, how can we be prepared to deal with the many things which life seems to throw to us unexpectedly? How do we prepare ourselves for the injustice, the heartbreak, the illnesses, the unfairness, the job loss, the inflation, or the misery that many must endure as bad news seems to be the norm rather than the exception?
The Scouts of America got it right when they included as a part of their motto two words, Be Prepared. This motto is one that we should all follow in our everyday lives and our spiritual lives as well. Preparation is often the difference between success and failure. In the above scripture, Peter tells us that we should be ready and able to defend our faith and our hope in the Lord.
Athletes know the importance of preparation and they spend hours and hours training mentally and physically practicing in order to be prepared. Musicians also know the value of preparation as they spend countless hours going over scales and playing the same piece over and over again. Randy spent countless hours on preparation for his sermons every week. If you know us, you know that Saturday day and night were always sacred for preparation. Preparation is the key to success in every area of our life.
When everything around us is falling apart, Jesus is the rock to which we can cling. We should plan and prepare ourselves to set Christ as the rock even when things don’t work out as we had planned. Only through Him are we adequately prepared as our faith is nurtured through the Bible and as we celebrate the sacraments He has given us to remember Him.
In this unpredictable world, we need a power and a resource that is greater than ourselves. We need to be able to trust in Christ to supply us with His power and endless amount of resources to face all that comes our way in life. His unconditional love, His goodness, His strength, His mercy, along with HIs grace, and His constant care and blessing will prepare us for anything that we must face.
Be Prepared. God Bless this country and the people of Uvalde.