By Rachel Galvin

On Feb. 14, 17 lives were lost in the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland. There are no words to really capture the heartbreak felt by the families and friends. Yet, our television sets are being bombarded by the graphic images captured that day, by the outpouring of grief and anger, and calls for action. We have heard the timeline of events. We have seen the disturbing social media messages from the shooter. We have seen the heroes who have died to save others. We know all this. But the question is what is being done today to stop this from happening again. Yes, there is talk of new gun regulation, talk about mental health. There are so many lessons to be learned, missed opportunities.

The incident led schools to scramble to take a look at their own security procedures.

Principal Baugh, from Deerfield Middle School, said, “We have drills a couple times a year – Code Black for a bomb threat, Code Red for a shooter or an unknown on campus. After [what happened in Parkland], we had an emergency facility meeting and reviewed procedures. We reiterated with students on the intercom… ‘Please do not open doors, make sure they are locked.’ We have students hide in the classroom during a lockdown with lights off. We had a meeting with the school resource officer Deputy Jimetta Williams that day and asked ‘What are the lessons learned?’ She felt very confident that our procedures are good.”

She added that grief counselors were made available for students and teachers and that many utilized them. They consisted of school counselors and social workers, who were set up in the media center.

Gordon Vatch experienced a lockdown at Deerfield Park Elementary recently when giving out dictionaries to 3^rd graders on behalf of the Kiwanis Club.

“Principal Reid said, ‘It’s a Code Red’ and took us into the cafeteria and we were in lockdown. We had many 15 to 20 of us in a closet. We were given the ok after 20 minutes. Someone had perpetrated the area. The way they did it was very professional and very quick. The kids listened and obeyed instruction,” he said.

This tragedy led the city to cancel their annual Pioneer Days activities, a controversial move, but one that Vatch said he agrees with.

“I am glad they canceled,” he said. “They could have been our kids.”

Some shared his sentiments; many others shared their disappointment about the cancelation of events. But everyone felt this tragedy strongly and many have reached out to lend a helping hand.

Joan Gould said she waited three hours to give blood, something the city encouraged people to do.

“I was there at 11:15 in the morning and people were already waiting. Deerfield Beach called for action. I was so proud to see one [Blood Mobile] bus after another. We all felt so helpless. What can you do? I gave blood so I could feel like I was doing something. “

Buddy Sparrow, who is known for spearheading the branding of Deerfield Beach Island (DBI), decided to lead a silent march where the parade would have been, from Pioneer Park to the beach. A few followed his lead.

“We would just like the victims, families and all of Parkland to know we stand with them and that Deerfield Beach cares. They bleed — we bleed… One human family. We know it cannot assuage the incredible anguish of these families but it felt wrong to do nothing,” he said.

Deerfield Beach Elementary School (DBES) art teacher Suzanne Devine Clark created the idea of “Stones for Stoneman” and, as of press time, was rallying volunteers to paint rocks with hearts and such to be placed in their memorial garden at DBES.

Gabriele Schlicht, owner of CrossFit Deerfield Beach, offered CrossFit classes to anybody they could reach using the money to fundraise to help the Parkland community.

“This was a very quick decision made on Thursday the day after the shooting and completed yesterday. We offered CrossFit classes to anybody we could reach in such a short time. We opened the doors at 5:30a.m. and offered 14 classes (hourly) to raise money. The news spread fast and we raised around $1500. (It is still coming in).

“The most amazing thing is that other fitness facilities are copying our workout and using it as a way to fundraise for Parkland. This is so very heartwarming how we all come together for the same reasons,” she said.

Coastal Community Church asked member Ed Taber, of Pompano Beach, to make the crosses that were set up in the makeshift memorial for victims of the shooting in Parkland in time for the vigil that was held on Feb. 15. The church is open for anyone who needs a prayer or to help in any way they can. (www.coastalcommunity.tv).

These are just a few of the members of the community that felt the need to do something in wake of this incident, but there are surely so many more. Perhaps, the thing most needed following this tragedy is just more kindness. Nerves are raw, hearts are heavy; a kind word or hug can make all the difference. The Observer offers its condolences to all those affected.

Why did God allow this to happen? That was the question my youngest daughter asked as we watched the news coverage and wrestled with our emotions over the recent tragedy at the High School in Parkland. I’m not sure that my answer satisfied her, or me for that matter. The question is always difficult to answer whenever it is asked in times of personal or public heartache. I mumbled something about our freedom to make our own choices in life, and how God does not force His will or His way upon any of us. We are free to choose and, unfortunately, some choices result in pain and suffering, for ourselves and others. The young shooter made some decisions last week that have severely impacted families, our community, and our state. Much hand-wringing, anger, despair and frustration are being displayed as a nation comes to grip with another sad 21st Century reality.

If God did, in fact, intervene to give us all only what we desire, and prevent any loss, would we be happy or satisfied? An affirmative answer is too easy to express, and the question demands further consideration. We’re all different and have varying tastes, preferences and experiences that combine to make us as unique as we are. What pleases one horrifies or offends another, and, when we are thrust together in community such as we are, it is inevitable that conflict will arise. Laws are enacted to provide boundaries for our protection by limiting our freedom. For the most part, we all try to live peacefully and make compromises when necessary to maintain harmony; but, every now and then, something happens to remind us of our imperfection.

Why did you leave him behind? That was the question posed by T’Challa to his father in the movie Black Panther. A young boy, of royal lineage, was left fatherless and alienated from his ancestral people, which gave rise to anger and a warped view of reality that he would grow up to impose upon his people and the world. That decision to leave him behind ultimately led to a nation in turmoil and a world in jeopardy. The fictional conflict in Black Panther and the real tragedy of Parkland converge at the point of consequences to decisions that are made by broken individuals. The villain of the movie and the shooter in the school are both tormented souls in need of healing and guidance. Proverbs 14:12 notes, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” When we reject the collective wisdom of family and community, we are left to our own imperfect perceptions informing our decisions, with potentially disastrous consequences.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers us guidance as to how we should live. With respect to those with whom we differ and oppose, Matthew 5:44 records, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” The implementation of that directive alone would spare us from many of the tragedies we impose upon each other. God will not force us to do it, however; we are left to choose our own way.

It is my prayer that more of us would choose the way of love and peace, the way of God. My heart goes out to the victims of last week’s violence, along with prayers for comfort, peace and strength for their families. I pray for the tormented souls among us who need to be heard, healed and cared for. I pray for our government and legislators to heed the cries of the children in the streets, and to take steps to better protect them. I pray for a return to the safety, guidance and stability that used to mark the nuclear family. I pray that all of us would heed the wisdom of God and make better decisions for ourselves and those around us.

Bishop Patrick L. Kelly is the pastor of Cathedral Church of God, 365 S. Dixie Hwy., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. 954-427-0302.