April 16: 33 die in Massacre at VA Tech

April 19: Grieving, Remembering, Celebrating at the Weekly Campus Crusade “CRU” Meeting

350+ students gathered to cry and honor three of their own, Jarrett, Lauren and Mary, who died in the gunfire.

I’ll always think of those students singing “Blessed Be Your Name”.

“…on the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering
Blessed be your name…
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say…
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

The pain was so raw, but the trust was so deep.

Lauren (one of the victims) had introduced herself last summer at freshmen orientation by saying:

“I want everyone to know I love Jesus!”

The last entry in Mary’s journal was a quote that read:

“When a deep injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive…
forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”

I never heard any CRU staff or students call themselves victims. But they didn’t feel like heroes either.

April 26: Celebrating Community while Challenging to Live & Witness for Jesus

550+ CRU students gather again in Squires Student Center for the last meeting of CRU this year.

Jeff Highfield, VA Tech CRU Campus Director, read from Psalm 23:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I fear no evil, for You are with me…”

He spoke of how uphill from the drill field (site of the candlelit vigil) sits Norris Hall where most of the killing occurred.

CRU sang a rousing version of “Surely Goodness and Mercy” voicing their commitment to dwell forever in the house of the Lord, the One who is with them even in the valley.

It was a night to commission the graduating seniors and challenge them to continue to live and witness for Jesus.

It was a night to remind the returning students of the task before them next year.

Jeff told of meeting a student in a coffee shop on campus just that morning. He wanted to talk about God in light of the tragedy. After a few minutes, that student bowed his head and placed his trust in Jesus in the middle of a busy coffee shop.

“We’ll be here next year to bring the Gospel to every corner of this campus,” Jeff said. “We want every student to hear about Jesus, experience the love of a true Christian community like CRU and believe on Jesus as Savior and Lord.”

When the student emcee first introduced Jeff, the crowd of students spontaneously erupted with shouts and applause and gave Jeff a standing ovation. When Jeff mentioned his wife Lisa, they rose again cheering and clapping.

That’s when I knew the students had found their heroes – Jeff and Lisa (and all the staff) - heroes who walked with Jesus through tragedy. Because of their example and words, these students could walk with Jesus through tragedy too.