I was saddened to hear of the April 15 slaying of the five young people who were associated with the University of Calgary. The awful news evoked a number of thoughts. My first and foremost thought was of the youth and innocence of the victims. What a loss.
During the days that followed I reflected on an impromptu speech given by Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 when he first learned of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Some of the sentiments conveyed then by Kennedy are applicable to the recent tragedy in Calgary. In his speech Kennedy quoted the Greek poet Aeschylus who expressed the gut-wrenching search for meaning in such loss:
Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget
falls drop by drop upon the heart,
until, in our own despair,
against our will,
comes wisdom
through the awful grace of God.
Senseless violence is unfortunately prevalent in our society. But a world of lawlessness and heartache is not what humans seek. We wish to live together and to continually improve the well-being of citizens everywhere. A world of understanding, wisdom and compassion is the vision we pursue.
Robert Kennedy concluded his speech about the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. by stating
“Let’s dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people.”
Great words. The people of the University and city of Calgary continue to be in my thoughts and prayers as the response and the recovery continue.
A flower memorial to the slain youth (Calgary Herald)
