A cord of many strands

Parent Jim Smith spent Monday afternoon in a space set up for the reunification of shell-shocked students with their parents after the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis. He described parents responding with sorrow, grief, frustration, and disbelief—but distinctly void of fear. “People were banding around,” he said. “People were praying together … saying, ‘God, this is injustice, this was not right, and shut the mouth of our enemy, the devil, in how he wants to bring despair or discord.’”

That night, local Wisconsin police confirmed some final details of the shooting. A teacher and student were killed in the attack. A total of six other people, including five students and one teacher, were injured by the shooter, identified as a 15-year-old female student who was pronounced dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Jim was reunited with his daughter, a high school junior who escaped unharmed.

Tuesday night brought a wave of prayer from vigils planned across the community. Abundant Life described overwhelming support from the community at its Tuesday service. Catholic students organized another Tuesday vigil at the St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church in Madison to pray for the victims and survivors, urging unity in Jesus Christ, the One who dispels the world’s darkness. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County and the United Way of Dane County also held a candlelight vigil at the State Capitol.

As the community recovers, Smith said that spending time together seemed to be an important means of healing. “Let's get together for coffee Let’s have a game night with our family,” he said. “It's not addressing the problem directly for our family, but it is provided a sense of normalcy, a sense of ‘this too shall pass.’” Smith has been an active Abundant Life parent since first enrolling his daughter as an elementary schooler.

Fellowship and community are also important for healing, he believes. “In this world, you will have trouble, but there is peace that’s left and can be taken up by us if we choose to take, and I think that flows over into the school, to the other families,” he said.

United Way of Dane County also began collecting donations for a recovery fund for Abundant Life Christian School on Tuesday. The United Way is ready to help the community recover, the non-profit’s president and CEO, Renee Moe, said in a statement. Abundant Life Christian School Principal Doug Butler in a written statement said he was grateful for the overwhelming community support. He was planning how to distribute funds to best support families at the school.

“The only thing I need to know is, how are we going to not live in fear?” Smith said. He wasn’t inclined to think about security systems, metal detectors, and guards. Doing so would be the response of a fearful heart, not a heart seeking God, he said.

Dealing with tragedy a week before celebrating Christmas was a complex challenge. “It's going to be a hard one,” he said. “There are so many intertwined relationships that people have had teachers, students that have either been injured or are no longer with us.

He sought joy despite the circumstances.

“We trust that there is a caring, personal Lord in heaven that wants to reach out to us and draw us close, especially when tragedy happens,” he said. “There will still be joy. Regardless of how happy we may or may not feel, there will be joy.”