Isla Vista

I was at a graduation party when I heard the news. "There's been a shooting in IV," my friend said, staring at his phone. My heart sunk. 

You never imagine it'll happen at your school, in your city, where people you know are affected. You see it on the news, but you don't expect that it will ever be a face that you recognize with the word "victim" written below it. You see the pictures of crime scenes, but you don't expect to drive by them. You never think you'll actually see bullet holes in windows in real life. 

This weekend, a real life nightmare happened in my city, in the college town that I called home for 4 years. I have so many words, and so little words, somehow at the very same time. And while I feel so unequipped to talk about this, I know that I have to. I can't continue on with regular blogging without addressing what happened. I don't want to continue on with regular life without letting this really rock me the way it deserves to. 

I spent the majority of the weekend google searching all of the details on the shooting. I read the articles, watched the youtube video, even started reading the 140 page autobiographical manifesto that was published. My heart felt so near to this tragedy, that I couldn't help but dig into the details. I had the same question as everyone else: "why?"

Somewhere during the skimming of years 10-17 of the manifesto, I heard what I truly believe to be God gently whisper a reminder to me: "fill your mind with things that are pure." {Phil 4:8}

I immediately exited out of the browser window, and closed my laptop. I vowed to stop the digging, the researching, the curiousity, the reading of things that are just plain evil. I am not saying this boy was evil, no part of me believes that. I believe that he fell victim to what is very much evil in our world, and his words and actions clearly display that. 

How do we combat this? How do we stop these tragedies that seem to be happening more frequently instead of less? As I sat in Isla Vista church on Sunday evening, one answer was given: 

"Jesus."

I wholeheartedly agree. He's the only solution; the only way to combat darkness is with light. And He is the Ultimate light. 

6 lives were taken on Friday evening. 

And now, I'm back at the place of having no words. I look at those pictures, and there just are no words. 

All I can do is pray, and covet prayers. I pray for revival in my city. I pray that for every life lost, hundreds are saved. I pray for supernatural healing, comfort and peace. 

Those two beautiful girls? They were in my sorority. I covet your prayers for the Gamma Theta chapter of Tri Delta right now, I can't imagine the pain those girls are feeling. Please pray for God to work in this, for Him to be with each of those mourning the loss of their sisters and friends. 

Our city is on the map right now. I choose to believe there is purpose in that. I choose to believe that God will take what the enemy intended for evil, and turn it for good. For His glory, always for His glory. 

I love you, Isla Vista. And Jesus does, too.