Tag: Friday

Friday Blessings

5 Year-old Raped and Tortured in India

Last December the people of India were shocked and outraged when a young woman was brutally raped and tortured.  She later died as a result of her injuries.  Now only a few months later another brutal rape and tortured has shocked the nation once more.  This time the victim is only five years old.  
The little girl was moved from a local hospital to Swami Dayanand Hospital in New Delhi on Friday.  She is reported to be alert and stable.  According to doctors she was being given intravenous antibiotics to fight a blood infection and further operations will have to wait until the infection clears up.  “This is the first time I have seen such barbarism”, R. K. Bansal medical superintendent of the hospital said Friday in a televised interview.  “There were injuries to her lips, cheek, arms and anus area.  Her neck had bruise marks suggesting that attempts were made to strangle her.”  He said a bottle almost eight inches long and pieces of candle had been inserted into her private parts.
The five year old went missing on April 15 and was found two days later by neighbors who heard her crying in a locked room in the same New Delhi building where she lives with her family.  She was found alone having left for dead by her attackers.  Anger at the authorities grew after the parents of the girl said the police had failed to take their complaint seriously, failed to carry out an adequate search and then offered them  2000 rupees – about $37 – if they would keep quiet about the case.  On Friday a Television News Channel showed a police officer slapping a female protester in the face.
The police arrested a 22 year-old garment worker early Saturday morning in Bihar.  The suspect had an apartment in the same building as the girl.  He is accused of abducting, raping and torturing her.  The Times of India reported that he told the police he fled the apartment because he believe the girl had died.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed regrets about the incident.  On Saturday the president of The Indian National Congress Party, Sonia Gandhi released a statement saying “Action and not words are required to ensure that such incident never happens again”.  A second suspect was arrested on Monday.
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Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre

Handout photo of state police personnel leading children from the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown

A nation is left in mourning and there is still no clear answer as to what might have led to the massacre of twenty children and seven adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut.

The shooter who reportedly took his own life was identified as twenty years old Adam Lanza.  His mother Nancy Lanza who was first thought to be a teacher at the school may have been a part-time substitute teacher.  She was not at the school when the shootings took place.  Her body was found inside her home on Friday which might indicate that Adam killed her before going to the school to continue his killing spree.

He entered the school administration office around 9:4o a.m., just half-an-hour after the school day began.  According to reports he was wearing dark clothing, a mask and bullet proof vest, and was carrying three guns – a Glock and a Sig Sauer, and a .223- caliber rifle.  Investigators said he fired at least 100 rounds.

Trying to understand why this catastrophe took place seems more difficult than trying to put together the pieces of a jig saw puzzle.  Why did he go to the school?  Why were those innocent children and other members of the school community slaughtered?  Why did this tragedy take place?

Good Friday

 

Tomorrow many Christians around the world will celebrate  Good Friday in remembrance of how Jesus Christ came down from Heaven to earth and died on the cross for our sins in order that we all can have everlasting life if we serve him and live according to his commandments.  One of the things that Jesus taught during his time on earth was ‘Love’.   Loving ourselves and loving one another.  Love is so much lacking in the world today and it is part of the reason that there is so much violence, so much killings, so much disregard for human life.  People kill one another as if it is no big deal; having no understanding of what it is to love.  Where there is love there is understanding, there is forgiveness, there is the desire to protect the ones you love.  Where there is no love the exact opposite happens.  Unless we have love for one another there will never truly be peace in this world.  Jesus taught about love and forgiveness.  How many of us live by those rules?  He who was without sin loved us so much that he gave his life for us.  Can we love one another enough so we can stop killing each other?   Let this be a time to reflect;  to give thanks to God for sending his son to die on the cross for us.  Let us make the changes necessary in our lives and start loving one another.  A blessed Good Friday to everyone.