I was sitting in the lobby of a doctor’s office when I heard the news. A woman walked in visibly upset and began talking to the receptionist about the terrible tragedy. She then told me the details of what just happened at Sandy Hook.

Immediately I felt profound sadness and unbearable compassion picturing the innocent souls who were taken so violently and imagining the pain their families are enduring. Like many of you, I felt helpless and powerless. Yet I know that Love is powerful so I continue to send my love and prayers to the community of Sandy Hook.

All of us will remember where we were when we heard the news of this tragedy just like we did on 9/11. During times like these it’s natural to reconnect to the people (not things) we love that are truly most important in our lives. So I hope we also remember our response to this tragedy and continue to focus on what really matters.

Yesterday was the first day I watched any kind of news coverage about the shooting, which ultimately inspired me to write about it. What struck me most was the anger and blame I saw in all the coverage. I understand this is a horrific tragedy and outrage is to be expected. I had to process my own anger about it as well. I also understand that outrage often motivates people to make changes so that this type of tragedy can be prevented in the future.

But outrage without love doesn’t create healing.

In a tragedy like this, love is what is needed. The families and communities that have been most intimately affected by this event need our love, not just our outrage. They need our compassion, not our analysis of the events. Questions like, “How could this happen? Who would do such a thing? What was going on in the mind and life of the shooter?” are valid and natural questions but what else can we do?

My invitation to you is to continue to send Love and Light to everyone affected for their Highest Good. The consciousness that created this tragedy comes from very low levels of anger, blame, resentment, pain, and darkness. So if you want to make a difference, make it by elevating your level of consciousness. Rather than talking about the shooter, engage in prayer. Rather than trying to make sense of what happened, visualize a column of Light descending over the community of Sandy Hook.

What I have been doing in my meditation practice is bringing my awareness into my heart and feeling into the infinite love, compassion and peace that are present there. I have been visualizing sending this energy (I see it in the form of a pinkish light) to the families and community of Newton. I encourage you to try this or find your own way to move out of feeling outraged and helpless and into feelings of love and compassion. Events like this are a call not just to change policies and laws, but also to change the level of our consciousness.

I’ve posted below the names and ages of the precious children and adults who were lost in this tragedy. I invite you to read the names one-by-one, taking each into your heart, and sending Light to their soul, their families and loved ones for the Highest Good of All Concerned.

Charlotte Bacon, 6

Daniel Barden, 7

Olivia Engel, 6

Josephine Gay, 7

Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 6

Dylan Hockley, 6

Madeleine F. Hsu, 6

Catherine V. Hubbard, 6

Chase Kowalski, 7

Jesse Lewis, 6

James Mattioli, 6

Grace McDonnell, 7

Emilie Parker, 6

Jack Pinto, 6

Noah Pozner, 6

Caroline Previdi, 6

Jessica Rekos, 6

Avielle Richman, 6

Benjamin Wheeler, 6

Allison N. Wyatt, 6

Mary Sherlach, 56

Victoria Soto, 27

Anne Marie Murphy, 52

Lauren Rousseau, 30

Dawn Hochsprung, 47

Rachel Davino, 29

There is nothing I or anyone else could say to make this “better.” My prayers continue to be with us all during a time when our nation is being called together in the name of peace, safety, change, healing and love.

With love,

Christine

“There is a saying in Tibetan, ‘Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.’  No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster.” Dalai Lama XIV

 

Dear God,

We come to You with broken hearts, surrendering the catastrophe that has occurred today in Connecticut. We cannot comprehend the darkness that led to this, or the suffering of those who have loved and lost. They are both too big. But in You, dear God, there are Answers we cannot surmise and Light we cannot summon by ourselves. We present to you our brokenness, and the horror and pain of those who grieve. May those who died find joy in the immortal realms. May those who mourn them be comforted in this hour of their agony.  And may our prayers and actions be guided by You, dear God, to create a world where this occurs no more. Amen” Marianne Williamson