I have hesitated to write about the tragedy in London because my thoughts are really quite disjointed. It is hard to make sense of a situation that doesn’t really make sense. Perhaps I am very childlike in that I simply don’t understand how people can kill one another with no provocation. I can see people fighting because they are hungry or enslaved, but to wage war simply to destruct, simply to gain power. . .my heart doesn’t understand that. So, my thoughts:

- It bothers me to some extent that as these situations have occurred the media has said things like “We are all *insert nationality* now.” We should all simply be human now. We should see that every sane person has the same dreams of peace and safety for their loved ones. Nationality has nothing to do with it. It is the birthright of humanity to quest for joy, and that will come to us only when peace reigns. We ought to mourn as humanity, not as Americans or Britains or however we choose to identify ourselves.

-It bothers me that at a time of so much loss and so much destruction people choose to waste their energy insulting the powers that be and the situation at hand without giving any real solutions to the problems they are trying to overcome. It is arrogant to say that they should do things a certain way when we should be thanking the Lord that we are not in their shoes, trying to find a way to end the desolation that our time seems to be in. These world leaders are simply human. I am certain that politics play a part, but I believe that most of them have their hearts in the right place and are trying to find a solution to all of this. We may not always agree with the course of action taken, but we should lend our allegiance to them. If we have a problem with how things are being handled, then perhaps we should search our minds and hearts for solutions and when we find them, lobby to have them heard. This ridiculous political mudslinging only breeds enmity and enmity only creates terrorism. The more insults you throw at the people who lead you the more like the terrorists you become. You MUST be proactive, if you are to be anything at all.

-I grieve for the many people who have lost their lives and their loved ones. I am so sorry. At the same time, I thank God that my friends and family are safe. I have family visiting London and a sister who lives in the UK. I felt fear and uncertainty yesterday morning. I was so relieved to hear they were fine.

-It is upsetting to me that when I hear of yet another car bomb in Bagdad killing twenty people I barely blink, as do the media here. Perhaps they bombed London because it is closer to our hearts and affect us more. We rise up and decry the bombings when they hit a bit closer to home, but day after day our Middle Eastern brothers and sisters live with this suffering. Why do we not mourn for the families there they way we mourn for our British friends? Why do we lack global empathy?

-I think the human race has quite enough to be going on about what with the natural disasters and disease that plague us all. We have our hands full enough with what nature throws our way, and yet we choose to kill each other. It is absurd. For those who say they must wage jihad, I say let God fight His own battles. Do not be so arrogant as to think you know the mind of God. I am certain that He is more than capable of ridding the world of infidels, and I think He will do it in His time. It is not righteousness that spurs terrorists to war; it is hate and fear, and those are not of God. We are only to love one another. Why does hate come so much more easily?

-It is painful for me to dwell on things of this nature. I feel so lucky that I live in my own little corner of the world concerned with such trivial things. I am blessed that I can choose to shut out the atrocities that plague the human race and putter in my garden and read bedtime stories to my babies. Most of the people reading this are as blessed as I. The key is to not be so complacent in our own spheres. We may not be able to make great strides globally, but we can do little things very well. Do not be so caught up in your own lives that you fail to recognize the need of your neighbor. Reach out. When was the last time you visited the sick or brought a meal to a family in need? In moments when I look at the world and feel very, very small and overwhelmed, it is imperative that I look at what I can do to make improvements. They may never be felt on a global scale, but each person who I leave a bit better is a conquest far greater than any I could have made through hate.