What happened on April 16 in Virginia Tech laid a heavy burden in my heart, not only because the cruelness of massacre, and the looseness in gun control. But the characteristics of Seung-hui which so much alike to my research: Hikikomori, social isolation, ijime (school bullying).
Cho was described as a loner, shy, one who never speaks, someone seemed to be in a total social isolation.
His twisted remarks in his video clips that was sent to the TV channel, about him being forced into a corner, attention seeking, somehow when it came into my ears, had so much resemblance of a Hikikomori person. His final remarks on he was giving a chance to die as Jesus, and his mentioned about the pain and sufferings and humiliations that he had been put to in trying to associate himself with Jesus, was like a sharp blade, cut through me, leaving a bitter wound in my heart.
Cho Seung-hui might had somehow in some point of his time, had heard about Jesus. He might had read about bible, or he might had seen a Jesus film. We need not to explain about Christianity here much deeper, as I presume all who are reading this blog are mature Christians, people who are on fire for Christ. We know how twisted the remarks were, and how sad it was for someone to loose the grip of truth.
What was leaving behind is not only about the pain of loosing 32 in the campus, and the bereaved; but the pain of an ignored twisted soul that had killed himself and left such pain in the community. The twisted mind is a torment itself. Are there more of these kind?
It is often easy for us to reach out to an adorable person, to disciple a mature Christian, to spark up one's life, encouraging each other, to pursue the Kingdom of God. And that is often what a practical campus ministry means. We do not waste our time on unfruitful land.
How many times we look at the drop outs? Those who being bullied, those who are not success in anything in their lives? School failures? Exam failures? Are we extending our hands?
I'm sorry if I seems like grumbling, the incident just brought too much pain to me as it reminded me about the Kobe Killer in 1997, the bus hijacker, the slashing and so much more... There are many ought to be done ------ but not done.
As for the incident in VT, we see New Life Christian Fellowship had came in actively to help the students to forgive and move on in faith. Tremendous effort! But yet, there are many who are not ready to that.
Leaving these aside, are we ready to reach out to the people around us who do not fit in to the circle that we are in? I had one dorm mate who had been forced to leave this March, and I barely knew her because of her isolation, I did nothing to reach out to her, except for a "hi" and "bye" while we met at the corridor. I could have done more. God is watching us, there is no accident in all incidents. May God has mercy on us!
1 comment:
Thank you sharing this Rose...While teaching English in Japan in 1999, I remember befriending many wounded hearted, hurting, rejected, and lonely people. My heart was heavy and broken for them. To this day I can still see their faces. I didn't know the Lord back then ... but now that I have the Holy Spirit dwelling within me, am I compelled to reach out and love the "unlovely" in truth and deed? My heart says-Yes Lord. Nevertheless, there has been times when I have missed God. Forgive us Father. Align our walk with Your will.
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