Broken

My heart broke a little today.

Another school shooting. This time at my college Alma Mater, Seattle Pacific University. Taking one life and injuring several others. I admit, with all the public shootings happening around the U.S. the last few years, I’ve become a bit numb to them. My heart hurts for the family’s every time, but it just doesn’t seem real. This time it hit close to home. I walked those halls, I sat in that classroom, I had debates with that professor. This time it sucker punched me in the gut. I’m not one to post a status on facebook about these events, or change my photo to a picture of support, it’s not my style. This time though, I needed to say something, and this is my outlet.

My heart broke a little today for a community that helped raise me. The students there are no longer ones I know, but they are a part of a community that knows me. A community that helped teach me how to be an adult. A community that challenged the way I thought, how I look at the world around me, and why I believed what I believe. We didn’t always agree, and we still don’t in a lot of respects, but I am forever grateful that they taught me how to come to my own conclusions, and have reasons to back them up.

I use the word community a lot in respect to SPU instead of the word University or college. It is a university of course, but more than that, it is a true Community. It is one of the areas SPU really excels at, helping its students build fellowship among themselves and with the faculty. Because of this, I believe SPU will bounce back stronger.

I believe they won’t let this shooter hinder their ability to foster strong community.

I believe they will continue to challenge and change their students.

I Believe.