Ragamuffin Ramblings

This past week and a half has taken us all by surprise. Isn't it odd that everything seems so right just before everything goes wrong?

My oldest brother was in serious car accident just over a week ago. His car was demolished, but he walked away unscathed. However, the time period in between the accident and my brother's call was excruciating for my family. The notion of injury or even death momentarily took our breath away. Days afterward, a gust of wind snapped the metallic pole for our basketball pole in half, smashing the windshield of our car while my mother was inside. Again, my mother walked away unscathed, but shaken.

As time progressed, the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech came into focus, as a disturbed young man took the lives of thirty-two students and faculty members before killing himself. The whole nation delved into mourning for the victims as prayer vigils and services continue to be held.

And this past weekend, the unexpected death of a three year-old girl has left my church family in utter disbelief.

How could all these things have occurred so rapidly? I cannot even begin to digest one before the next appears. "Wait a second," you might say, "You weren't really affected by any of this as much as other people. What are you whining about?" And you know what? You're right. All I endured was a broken window. My brother lost his car, but nothing happened to me. I didn't know anyone who perished at Virginia Tech, and I grieve for a family's loss that is not my own. Why am I so distraught?

I would venture to say that the answer lies in something tangible yet often overlooked. There is a terrible tragedy in this world, more powerful than we can even imagine. Our beloved world is dying. Physically, emotionally, spiritually... We are a fallen people who have forgotten that our world is not perfect but in a constant state of decay. We are patron saints of lost causes, wandering grief-stricken when tragedy comes our way. The wonderful, empty things of this world blur as tears fill our eyes. Whether it be from broken windows or broken hearts, we've realized how truly lost we are without a savior. And we fall our knees... acknowledging our utmost dependence on the only constant force in the universe: Jesus Christ.

I felt it appropriate to begin my blog with an entry of the ridiculous nature. Last night as I was leaving work, I gazed out across the vast parking lot of the happenin' Pompano Marketplace and observed one the of most ridiculous occasions I have ever experienced. A group of young teenagers, not unlike myself, were enjoying the warm night air of South Florida. Very unlike myself, however, these absurd children were "partying it up" in the middle of the Pompano Marketplace, music (if that's what we want to call it) playing and shadows dancing in the moonlight.

Now, let's get a few things straight. First, last night was a Friday night, indicating that this late night pow-wow was an extremely pathetic attempt to jump start the weekend with a really cool social event. It must also be noted that no place of social significance even exists in the Pompano Marketplace, as it includes such glorious temples of retail such as Steinmart and Staples. Perhaps it was Woodcraft store that attracted them, or maybe the Dollar Tree. Regardless, this was a most entertaining and unusual occurrence in my neck of the woods.

Feeling very overwhelmed by the group's sense of "coolness" I responded by climbing into the Shaggin' Wagon and proceeding to rev its engine uproariously. This was followed by my swift exit out of the parking lot to impress them. Oh... I can just hear their murmurs of amazement now as I reminisce my deft departure. I feel so much better about myself now that I know I am so much cooler than those guys (and have a larger vocabulary).