Our Innocence Is Gone

Like most in my community, yesterday was a hard day for me. Most of my days off from work are consumed with catching up around the house on miscellaneous projects and activities, and this day was no different. Rising early to get the day started before the hot July afternoon heat arrived, I began what was a typical day off for me.

While standing in my garage, trying to wipe down the car that I had just washed my phone suddenly started ringing with numerous updates from every local news agency. First, there were reports of a shooting at the local river park. As tragic as that sounded my first thoughts went towards many of the typical thoughts one might have upon hearing of such an event.

Soon thereafter though I started to receive many more updates indicating that this was much more than even those in the know had at first thought. Within minutes, it seemed like there were reports coming in from all over about possible shooters and businesses and public institutions being put on lockdown because of an active shooter.

Suddenly my mind started drifting to another morning a few years back, when I was driving to work, listening to the local talk radio show and first heard the reports that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. To this day, I still remember that horrible feeling I had when the second plane hit and I realized that the first plane was no accident and that we were under attack. Yesterday, I had that same feeling when I realized the severity of what was happening, just a short distance from where I stood in my garage.

To this day, I still remember the range of emotions that swept over me on that horrendous morning, and once again, I have those same feelings, but this time it is not New York City, it is Chattanooga, my town, and suddenly the innocence we once had is gone. Repeatedly I have asked myself how something like this could happen here.

Unlike the generation that has grown up shortly before and after September 11, for most of my life, terrorism was something that happened somewhere else like the Middle East, or Northern Ireland, and many other places that I had never heard of. As much as hearing of such events would break your heart, there was something inside most of us, which always felt safe here in the United States of America. That September morning shattered that reality for most of us, and forever scarred the conscience of our nation.

Almost naively though, and I hate to admit this, there was still a part of me that never thought such heinous acts could happen here, certainly not in “my town”. Yesterday devastated that way of thinking for me, and my heart will never be the same because of it. How do we ever look at our children and grandchildren again and tell them everything is ok and that they will always be safe, when especially now, even I do not believe that?

Today our reality is that the world is no longer the place it was when we were children. The innocence that we once had is now shattered and unfortunately, for many of us fear and anguish now have taken its place. Last night, as I stood on my back porch, just trying to escape the reality of the moment I could not help but recall what the Scriptures said in Luke when it spoke of “Men’s hearts failing them for fear”. Without a doubt, I firmly believe we are in the times that our Savior spoke about.

Yesterday evening I encountered a member of the Chattanooga Police force in the local grocery store, and without hesitation, I approached him, shook his hand, and thanked him for what he and his fellow officers did to prevent a bad situation from becoming much worse. We should all be grateful for those who stand in harm’s way to keep us safe. Please join this community and me in prayer for those who lost their lives yesterday, and pray for the recovery of those injured. Also, pray for our nation as we search for answers to questions that really are hard to answer, and just pray that God would restore this nation to what it once was, and maybe we can reclaim that innocence again.