This time it is a small rural church in Texas, the sort of place where faithful working people congregate to pray, sing and listen for the Word of God. It is exactly the kind of church my daughter and granddaughter attend. It is the kind of place where children run and play virtually unsupervised because it is so safe.
What could be safer? What could be more normal?
Roasts are cooking in crockpots at home awaiting the services to be over. Kids have extracted promises from parents that the family can go to the local Dairy Queen to get a burger and a Blizzard, if they'll sit quietly and listen to the preacher.
Just another routine and beautiful Sunday. Until a deranged or angry or hate-driven person walks in and begins to fire a semi-automatic weapon into the congregation, killing about half of them.
And in the wake of yet another week, yet another shooting, elected representatives offer their condolences that grow more hollow each time they are offered. "My thoughts and prayers are with the families." Excuses are offered, and deflections are made by politicians and the gun-lobby. "This is a mental health issue, not a gun control issue."
I've just about run out of tears, and words. But I do have a question.
Granted we can't stop some people from hating and others from acting on their anger or insanity, but can't we do something to make sure the hateful and the insane are less well-armed?