Guest Author - Rev. Jackie OŽNeal S.T.M.
As many continue to remember the victims of the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech before God, many of us may also be expressing our collective anxiety concerning our personal safety with friends, family and our students.
It is unthinkable how a so-called methodical psychopath carried out a murderous,on-campus rampage virtually undeterred except for the instant he shot himself to death after leaving behind a carnage of over thirty persons. What is even more incomprehensible is the fact that the deceased were our leaders and future leaders, as well as our loved ones.
One organization on a mission to try to heal some of the emotional and spiritual wounds, Samaritan's Purse, deployed a team of trained volunteer chaplains led by Franklin Graham, the organization's CEO.
Samaritan's Purse dedicates most of its efforts to evangelization and providing emergency relief to disaster victims. Much of the coverage on CNN in the wake of the shootings, left many viewers and victims devastated, traumatized, and feeling helpless in the face of unspeakable evil. Listening to the comforting words of Franklin Graham as he encouraged the public to offer prayers, and just knowing that a team of chaplains were present at Virginia Tech to bring peace and blessing to those affected by the horrific event, seemed to neutralize the sense of despair that lingered.
Samaritan's Purse and The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association have been responsible in the past for the deployment of 700 chaplains to the Gulf Coast following the Hurricane Katrina devastation. They have also sent their chaplains overseas to provide disaster relief to the Indian Ocean Tsunami victims and the Pakistan earthquake survivors.
Samaritan's Purse's annual budget is estimated at $260 million dollars and an important part of their mission involves disaster relief to 100 countries around the world.
This week Franklin Graham told CNN that the chaplain team would remain at Virginia Tech to comfort the survivors and their families, and as a supportive presence as the community engages in the difficult task of moving forward while mourning the loss of friends and dear ones.
For more information, or to make a secure online donation, Visit: http://www.samaritanspurse.org
