Ev'ryane seems tae keep referrin' tae th' shootin' as a tragedy. It's nae a tragedy... that implies there wis sumpit false an' theatrical an' inevitable aboot it, an' insteid it wis a' tae real an' cuid hae been preventit if folk were nae sae blind, sae terribly blind. Th' unco' fact o' th' matter is that I spent th' afternune o' th' shootin' in ma apartment at seminary in Denver, readin' aboot different theological responses tae th' Problem o' Evil, an' as families were aff sobbin' an' grievin' an' media hounds were sniffin' at th' kill, I wis wrichtin' oot ma ain response, strugglin' tae articulate ma ain beliefs. Ma ain understandin' is that there's nae Auld Clootie runnin' roond wi' hooves an' pitchfork, but human folk are muckle guid at ca'in up oor ain demons, an' settin' 'em loose on ither folk. I believe that guidness an' justice are claise kin tae th' cosmic balance o' th' yirth itsel'. Injustice is th' same as th' pattern bein' damaged. These young men whae plantit explosives insteid o' seedlings, an' weedit oot folk insteid o' bunchgrass... what dreadfu' imbalance maun hae been devourin' their intimmers, tae mak 'em lash oot sae terribly an' then destroy their ainsels? In th' sair-hairtit aftermath o' a' this, I dinnae ken how tae feel aboot th' event ither than sair distressit that, ane mair time, some folk challenged ither folk tae help 'em stay human, an' baith sides seem tae hae failed. I wish I cuid jist tak th' trauchled souls under ma ain wings, haud 'em claise, help 'em walk thro' th' darkness an' drive awa' the demons...I dinnae think ye can meet hunger an' fears o' scarcity wi' onythin' but a feast o' abundance, if ye want tae restore th' balance. Ane thing wha' binds th' web back taegither in sic a time is music. Since ye askit, here's th' fairst ane wha' cam tae mind. I dinnae ken th' wrichter o' it, but I'm thinkin' it micht be someane back in Seattle, for I first haird it amang th' singers there. If onyane else kens th' original artist/wrichter o' th' sang, please post it sae we can hae credit whaur credit is due...

The Quilt Song (wrichten aboot th' AIDS Quilt Project)

Hold on/ to what is good,/ even if it's a handful of earth.../ Hold on / to what you believe/ even if it's a tree which stands by itself.../ Hold on / to what you must do/ even if it's a long way from here.../ Hold on-- / Hold on to life/ even if it is easier, letting go.../ Hold on--/ Hold on to my hand/ even when I have gone far away./ Hold on--/ Hold on--/ Hold on.

A h-uile beannachd leibh,

--Cuilionn