Responding at The Well: The Las Vegas Shooting

The tragedies seem to pile up quickly, the next one nipping at the heels of the last. Over the last two weeks, we’ve seen the biggest mass shooting in US history, the terror of wildfires scourging California, and a slew of other crises too numerous to name here. We at The Well have been watching and praying along with you all. In the spirit of ushering God’s kingdom on earth more fully, we offer you a few of the most helpful resources we have come across in these difficult days.

For Christ and the University,

The staff of Women in the Academy and Professions

Articles Worth Reading

• “Our Precarious Lives” by Mandy Rodgers-Gates. How does the reality of our vulnerability shape our response to tragedy?
• “Ten Things to Pray for in Light of the Tragedy in Las Vegas” by David Platt. A practical guide to help us pray for those affected.
• “Why ‘thoughts and prayers’ is starting to sound so profane” by Kirsten Powers. A thoughtful look at public response to disasters. (This piece has a clearly partisan tone, but we think the issues that are raised here make this article a worthwhile addition to the larger conversation.)
• “Listen for Specifics — Moving Forward After Tragedy” by Emily Freeman. A 16-minute podcast offering spiritual wisdom about how to respond to tragic situations. (Transcript available as well.)

Relevant Articles from The Well

• “Holding All of It Together” by Christine Twedt. A reflection on the “task of holding death and life in the same hand.”
• “Winter Grief” by Marcia Bosscher. Celebration and grief walk together, hand in hand.
• “A Life of Prayer Amidst News of Death” by Tish Harrison Warren. In the face of the tragic news reports of the summer of 2014, Tish Harrison Warren laments the inability to respond and confesses our deep need for prayer.

Book Recommendations

• Disaster Ministry Handbook by Jamie D. Aten and David M. Boan provide a practical guide to churches for disaster preparedness.
• Anxious by Amy Simpson encourages us to take worry and anxiety seriously, but with a call into further trust in God.
• Living Without Enemies: Being Present in the Midst of Violence by Samuel Wells and Marcia A. Owen offers deep insights into what it takes to overcome powerlessness, transcend fear, and engage in radical acceptance in our dangerous world.
• Shaking the System: What I Learned from the Great American Reform Movements by Tim Stafford explores the patterns of successful and failed reform movements to highlight what activists today can learn.
• Living Gently in a Violent World: The Prophetic Witness of Weakness by Stanley Hauerwas and Jean Vanier explores the contours of a countercultural community that embodies a different way of being and witnesses to a new order — one marked by radical forms of gentleness, peacemaking, and faithfulness.

Prayer

• This prayer by Emily Freeman might give you words to pray if you’re finding it difficult to know how.