The massacre at Virginia Tech (and there’s no other word for it) is a tragedy of such stunning magnitude that it is beyond tragic, and an evil for which the word “evil” is inadequate. I feel as though anything I could write, or any wishes or prayers I could offer, will look feeble in the face of this horror. I offer them nevertheless.

Of course, soon we’ll begin trying to make sense of this. We’ll begin looking for mistakes made by Virginia Tech’s administration and by law enforcement. We’ll begin looking for a way to explain what drove the man who committed this awful act. We’ll begin talking about how it could have been prevented. Ultimately, we’ll do this in a bid to regain a feeling of security in and control over this world of ours.

Unfortunately, as this horrifying crime demonstrates, we will never be fully in control. Stupid, senseless things we cannot predict will occasionally wipe out some lives, and irrevocably bend and twist others beyond recognition. The best we can do is recognize that our loved ones are a precious gift, and that life is very much worth living despite the risks it presents. Because the alternative is never to have lived, and that is far, far worse.

May God take care of the souls lost at Virginia Tech, and grant the survivors the strength and courage to keep going in the face of this terrible, terrible thing.