Today at around 10am there was an active shooter alert at the campus of the Ohio State University. In the moment when the news first hit, I was sitting with a member of my congregation whose son was typically in the building that was all over the news. Fear and worry were plastered around the room like graffiti.
The conversation turned from planning and preparation to pause and prayer. Words fell silent as we pulled up social media and news platforms. Fears began to rise as familiar places were flashed across the computer screen on the live news broadcast. Seconds felt like hours between text message updates from those near the scene. The sight of SWAT officers climbing staircases and combing the buildings brought chills. This can’t be happening.
You could hear the thoughts raging in the minds of those in the room. What if the worst happens? Where is my son? I need to hear from him not someone else telling me he’s ok but I need to hear him. Minutes felt like days. News of the all clear made its way around the horn. We breathed a sigh of relief but there was something still a little uneasy. That was far too close to home.
As we went on our ways, I began to ponder the weight of the moment. Productivity was stopped. Innocence was violated. Fear ruled the moment. Everything we thought to be true was turned on its head. This was far too close to home.
But something interesting was going on through it all. This mom and her family, while visibly shaken, were eerily peaceful. Their world was being torn upside down, yet there was something of calm in the moment. The calm didn’t just come when the all-clear was given. No, it was present while the violence was still plastered on the news. The peace was there even when the fear was overwhelming. This was far too close to home to be certain but it wasn’t the end of the world.
As followers of Jesus we believe that Christ has made a difference in our lives today not just in the future. Yesterday I asked in bible class what difference has Jesus made in your life today? While there weren’t a ton of answers to that question in the moment I got the answer I needed today. The difference Jesus made was visible in the peace that I saw in her heart while her eyes were filling with tears. Jesus’ presence was so obvious as she struggled with the horror of the moment all the while maintaining a firm grip on the realities of the day.
It was far too close to home for us to ignore. But so are many other things in our lives. When you’re in the midst of a war for your heart, are you able to know the difference of the Savior who loves you? When you are trapped in the quicksand of despair and depression are there people to whom you can turn for help?
Even though this terrible event happened far too close to home there were hundreds of men and women who rushed in when we ran out. Thank you to those who jumped to defend. Thank you to those who stayed calm and listened to direction. Thank you to the parents who were rocks for your children and to the children who were strong for your parents.
We will navigate this storm together. Let’s lean in to one another and support one another. I am so thankful that all of the students and staff with whom I am connected are safe and out of harms way. This was far too close for comfort and I’m glad you are now back home.
For many of you this is already a reality. More people have cast early votes this year than in many of the recent years on record. We’re seeing larger than average turnout for this year’s presidential election. Whether or not you’ve cast your vote there’s still some work to do. 
There’s a pretty big fad pushing its way through our culture these days. It’s the trend of LifeCoaching. A Life Coach is someone who, for a relatively sizable sum of money, will walk you through some of life’s challenging moments and help you determine the proper trajectory on which your life should run. They help you determine something called a Life Plan. While their version may not be called exactly that, it will undoubtedly contain some basis for decision-making, what you want to be when you grow up, how to succeed, where you should apply yourself, etc. 
Knowledge is a great thing! We strive for deeper knowledge at every turn. From a very early age we seek to grow through learning. We learn from our parents as they talk us through new tasks. We learn as we watch people do things we’ve never attempted. We learn from teachers, pastors, grandparents, and so many other grown-ups in our lives. Our society is driven by the idea of gaining knowledge. We ask our young people what their plans are after high school. We apply pressure to our young adults when we ask what they want to “do with the rest of the lives.” It’s all about more and more knowledge! 
I recently had the opportunity to spend a day on the water with some friends. We tooled around Alum Creek on their boat. We talked. We ate. We relaxed. We went tubing around the water. It was great fun. But while I was being dragged behind the boat in the tube, I began to think about the power of a wake. 
Have you ever seen one of those Where’s Waldo books? The premise of the is to find a character on each page. The character is Waldo. He’s dressed in a red and white striped shirt and blue jeans with a stocking cap. Some of the pages are quite easy to find this little man hiding among the green trees. But other pages are almost impossible! I remember a page in a Where’s Waldo book from my childhood that had Waldo in his red and white striped outfit marching with thousands of others in a crowded city. These thousands of others were also wearing red and white stripes and playing instruments. Needless today that one took quite a while to find but I remember the great sense of accomplishment when I was actually able to see Waldo! 
