So by now I am confident that you have heard the news and stories of the terriable incident from last Thursday night/Friday morning. I am, of course, referring to the shooting that took place during the midnight premier of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado.
However, I am not writing about the horrific event in its entirety. This is because I want to respect the people who fell victim to the act of a single, desperate, seemingly evil individual. Plus, there has been enough press about the event has a whole and I will not continue writing about it and dissecting it, at least for now.
I want to mention three people from this event: Jon, Matt and Alex. These three incredibly brave men paid the ultimate price for the people they cared about. Now I realize there are numerous stories of bravery from that night, but these three young men laid down their lives in order to protect others. When the gunman started firing into the crowd, each of them reacted in a split moment, using their bodies to protect their girlfriends and those around them.
While some of the specific details of what happened may be shrouded in mystery and confusing details, the effects of these brave acts is clear: three young women are alive because these three guys moved in a way devoid of selfishness and full of compassion and care.
Many of us strive to live out the words of the Bible, whether we fully believe in it or not. From the Golden Rule to the Ten Commandments, almost everyone applies these types of ideals in their lives. However, one verse seems to stand above the rest, especially in this situation. It was the first that I heard in my mind as soon as I hear about this story, and it sent shivers through my body.
I want you to think about this for yourself- I am not going to spend time breaking this down further. I will say: these men are true heroes and I know their sacrifice will never be forgotten or their memory diminished.
So think about this, do any of us really know when our time is up, or how our time will end? These guys were not doing anything extraordinary before they were killed…they were going to a midnight release of a movie- something I have done many times with no thought to something like this happening. Then, when the situation drastically changed, they saw only one way to react. Casting aside selfish ambition, they saved someone they loved. We should all be so lucky to have our last act be so courageous.
I want to close with a question: We are called to be courageous…Jon, Matt and Alex answered the call when the moment came: will you? Live in a way that honors them, their memory and the love ones they left behind.
Gentlemen- thank you.
Article about the young men here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/23/aurora-shooting-boyfriends-died-protecting-girlfriends_n_1695290.html
Sailing the Ocean of Life 