Sometimes there just are no words

It's times like this that I'm glad I left daily newspaper life behind. The images from Aurora, Colo., are beyond disturbing and it's got to be awful to be on this 24-hour news cycle when there is a story like this. At least with daily newspapers there was time to process, think and put stories together in a way that made sense. Now it's just an ever-flowing stream of bits and pieces and stories never come together so much as they build like some information tsunami that drowns us in trivialities.


But, even worse is the instantaneous commentary drives people to Facebook and other venting places to express the way they feel about what happened in purely political terms. Words. Words. Words. Too many words. Not enough thoughts. It's all visceral and it's all meaningless. Guns. No guns. Ban guns. More guns. Executions. Terrorism. Death penalty. No death penalty.


Meanwhile, in Aurora, Colo., people are gathering at a school and waiting for words. Family members who were going to the movie and who now aren't answering cell phones. Bodies unidentified that could be a loved one. Wounded in hospitals unable to speak for themselves that are still being treated to save their lives by people too busy and desperate to figure out--yet--who their loved ones might be. The awful waiting. And the awful waiting coming to an end with the words nobody ever wants to hear.


A mother is fighting for her life as I write this and she doesn't know her six-year old daughter is dead. I'm sure it was all to be a wonderful treat for mother and daughter to go out late and watch the summer's most-anticipated movie. And this, this is just so senseless. Sometimes there just are no words.


So, why, can't we just set aside the words? Can we just spend the day in quiet prayer and contemplation of all that is dear and precious to us? Let us all pray thanks for what we have and pray for comfort and healing in Aurora, Colo. Set our words aside for a day and, instead, think about those at that school waiting for news? Let's all leave the opinions and loud yammering behind for a day--a week even--and instead think about those in Aurora trying to make sense of the senseless.Let's focus our energy and strength on healing and comforting in these dark days. Because, truly, there just are no words.