REFLECTIONS

Storytellers

The day began as any other. Moms and dads prepared their children for school, breakfast, then off to work in the usual pattern. But the day that began so normally escalated into a day like no other. Lives changed forever by an act of terror that rocked the nation.

The description fits September 11, 2001, but it fits a day in April, 1999 just as well. Just ask Beth Nimmo and Darrell Scott. Their daughter lost her life that day when she stood strong for what she believed before shooters that invaded Columbine High School. Rachel didn’t deserve to die. Neither did Beth and Darrell deserve to lose their beautiful daughter. But that day evil trampled good. It’s not supposed to be that way!

Since that fateful day, other schools have been invaded by other shooters, excited crowds have been attacked by deranged aggressors, and a nation of ordinary people living ordinary lives suffer the lasting scars from 911. It’s not supposed to be that way. Evil is not supposed to trample good—but maybe it hasn’t.

Even as they grieved, Beth and Darrell addressed their tragedy to an unsettled nation. They shared their daughter’s story. The story told who Rachel was and how she lived even into the final moments. The story revealed God’s love for Rachel and her love for God, even to death. And the story renewed hope into the lives of all who heard it.

But for the shootings at Columbine the story of Rachel Scott might have never been told. Beth and Darrell would have had no reason to describe their daughter’s courage and faith to the nation if two deranged minds had not ended her life. The grieving parents would have had no reason to stand before large crowds to tell of the wondrous love of Jesus if they had not seen their daughter experience it firsthand.

Stories that would have never been told are often inspired by tragic events. The sufferings of slavery in Egypt and the exodus from it gave Moses stories to tell. A horrifying crucifixion followed by the magnificence of resurrection inspired the Apostles to tell the story they witnessed. But we need not wait for tragic events to tell of the triumphs of good over evil. We know the stories already. We know stories like the one Beth and Darrell told in their book Rachel’s Tears. We know stories about heroes who stood up for what they believed and the price they paid for it. We know the story of God’s sacrifice to save us from our sins in this world. These are the kind of stories that renew hope in our troubled world. These are the stories that must be told.

And we are the ones called to be the storytellers.

You are the light of the world,

Richard +

www.reflectingthesavior.org

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