People have been asking me for some resources to help families to process through the senseless tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut last week. While we would be wise to protect our youngest children from having to know that such events can even occur, our elementary aged children need parents who will make them aware of what happened as they are likely to hear it from others at school. As much as we would like to guard our kids' innocence, our kids need to hear these things from their parents.
Here are some excellent resources that might help parents to answer some of the questions their kids might be having.
For a general response to how Christians should think and pray in the aftermath of such an enormous tragedy, see how Albert Mohler connects it to "Rachel weeping for her children."
To find some general guidelines to help your child to cope with trauma, Focus on the Family has a great post helping parents to talk with kids about grief in general terms.
For specific topics related to the Connecticut shooting there is a good article on the MSN page.
I like this article from Time about helping your kids to feel safe and secure. But note that it is purely from a secular perspective. Christian parents should obviously stress that God is sovereign and watches over us in ways that schools, law enforcement, and even parents cannot.
Given the great loss of young life, some kids might ask if all children go to heaven. There are some good doctrinal perspectives on children and salvation written by Akin and Mohler on "The Salvation of the Little Ones."
Finally, for parents of teenagers, you might want to engage your kids in a discussion of what can happen to a culture when God is systematically removed from public discourse. Mike Huckabee has a video commentary that is making the rounds online. While the shooter apparently suffered from mental illness (and there are many complex issues related to that) Huckabee points out that our culture tends to rely on God only when we need His help. Other than that, we tend to keep Him at arm's length. You may not agree with everything he says, but it is a good discussion-starter for older kids.
Beyond any and all of this, may we all be diligent to pray for the families who have lost so much, the children who witnessed such horrors and survived, and the community that will continue to care for them all. Their pain right now is beyond what many of us could ever imagine. Pray that they look to God for help like never before. After all, His name is Emmanuel. "God with us."
Come quickly, Lord. We need your rescue.
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