DMA Riverside Review October 2017 Riverside Review USE THIS 30 Oct | Page 4

Senseless By Chaplain Allen Vaughan In the face of the tragic loss of life on Oct. 1 in Las Vegas, there seems to be one word I hear used more often than any other to describe the violence. The word is “senseless.” It was a senseless tragedy… a senseless act of violence. It makes no sense why someone would perpetrate such a horrible crime against innocent people who were simply enjoying a music festival. As I am writing this, law enforcement officials are still uncertain of any motive that may have been behind the shooter’s actions. But, even if a motive could be discovered, it would not likely help any of the hundreds of victims and their family and friends make any more sense of the trauma they experienced. Our nation has seen far too many violent shootings over the past several years. Violence and trauma can affect a whole community, as well as individuals. When shootings occur, it is important to ask “why” in order to discover the underlying causes of violence, especially if there is any reasonable chance that our knowledge might help prevent any further evil from occurring. It seems as though we have an innate need to make sense of why bad things happen. However, most grief and trauma counselors say that it is not always helpful to offer explanations or platitudes, even with the best of intentions. If you find yourself in a position of offering comfort to someone who has been affected by violence, or any other traumatic experience, the best comfort you can give is simply to listen to that person. Avoid the urge, at first, to try to make any “sense” of what has happened. Be willing to sit in silence or in shared grief with that person. It’s ok to say, “I just don’t know what to say right now.” There is another meaning of the word “senseless” that applies here as well, which describes a feeling of numbness. Like being knocked senseless by a hard blow, it may be too painful to feel anything related to the event, so our response may be not to feel at all. It is not unusual for those who have experienced horrific trauma to shut down emotionally. When one is bombarded by images, emotions, stories, or memories of a tragic event, our minds may have to take a break Page 4 Volume 3, Issue 4 and can go into shutdown mode. “I just don’t want to feel anything anymore,” or “I don’t know what to feel.” It is important to remember that feelings and emotions don’t just go away. They are stored up with associated memories and will come out eventually, if they are not processed and openly shared with a trusted counselor or friend. Anger and grief are particularly destructive when buried and not expressed in a healing manner. Depression is often the result of these buried emotions, and may lead to attempts to cover up, deny or self-medicate the feelings away. If this sounds like it describes you or someone you know, then talk to someone. Pray with someone. Come by the chaplain’s office and know that you have a safe place to share and reengage your God-given senses, even in the face of senseless tragedy. Chaplain Vaughan Bay Three, room 194 [email protected] 951-413-2380 Free copies of “Our Daily Bread” devotional booklets are available in the Chaplain’s office. Please stop by to pick up your copy, or just for a chat. Chaplain Vaughan leads a Bible Study from a Christian perspective every Thursday in the Bay One conference room 132, from 12 – 1 p.m. You are welcome to bring your lunch. Chaplain Vaughan