Oct 30
Tragedy at the Beach
Over the weekend, as I’m sure you’ve heard elsewhere, seven college students were killed in an intense fire at a beach house in North Carolina.
As neighbors tell it, the teens were partying until about 4:30 in the morning or so. At some point over the next couple of hours, something went horribly wrong. By 7:00am, a newspaper delivery man spotted the fire and attempted to find out if anyone was inside, but said the door was too hot. He heard windows exploding above him in the two-story living area.
Six of the thirteen people inside managed to get out. Seven did not.
At my Alpha meeting this evening, I was talking to the hostess, a mother of two, and she was talking about how unimaginable it would be to raise children past the baby stage, when you have to worry about no end of crises, past the school bullies, the dangers (and horror stories) of the school buse, little league, varsity sports, even learning to drive, so that they make it safely all the way through high school only to have them get killed when they’re in college.
What do you say to people who suffer such a loss? I’ve got nothing.
November 3rd, 2007 at 7:41 am
Well, if you’re a Christian (or a member of any other theistic belief system) then this platitude comes to mind:
“It was God’s will.”
That’s what was served up to me when my mother died. If it’s good enough to describe the untimely death of a 40 year old, I guess it’ll suffice for that of a 20 year old, too.
Keep the faith.