Voice of meaning resolves nothing about school tragedy

The  busy, work-a-day world yesterday must have provided me some insulation from the horrible news about the Connecticut elementary school. But the morning brought a desire to look at this thing head on.

Later in the day, the thought was to run long distance in a kind of mental silence.  Appreciate the gentle rain that fell overnight--just make it a seven-mile meditation. Be respectful.

But the voice of meaning begins searching. You think of the evil in the world and the Christian belief in forgiveness. The debate about stronger gun control comes to mind. Contemplate the Buddhist idea of how to bring the end of suffering. Consider Existentialism’s question of why the world exists at all instead of there being nothing.

The mind goes on and on, nearing the end of its tether. It must look for signs.

But don’t read anything into the crows on a wire, your steps in time with their plaintive cawing. It means nothing. Run past Westwood Elementary, flag at half mast, the empty playground on a Saturday, the bright colors of the slides and swingsets shrouded in the dreary light. Run past the triplex a couple blocks down the street where we first lived in this town, before the kids started school.

Run through the Faith Baptist Bible College campus. There you know you will see a sign by a clock mounted on a street lamp: “Have Faith in God.”

Up the street, outside a plain apartment somebody left a plastic Nativity scene lit up.

Northwest Elementary turns up late on the route—the school Natalie and Nathan attended so long ago. The traffic is so much heavier on this street now. The crosswalk looks dangerous.

Yes, there is evil in the world and the meaning of it is elusive. But, we made it, kids, didn’t we?  

The gentle rain starts up again as I near home. This deep drought won’t be healed by today’s weather. One wonders when it ever will be.

But for now there are puddles in the street and some rain water in the glass I left on the porch step.