Sometimes, teachers and students can complain about the security measures that have been implemented in schools in response to the world in which we live. Locked doors, key cards, surveillance cameras, safety drills, student uniforms and staff IDs to help identify outsiders. Today reminded me that horror and senseless evil happen regardless of the safety measures we put in place. But we don’t just say, “Why bother?” As parents, as teachers, as adults who love the kids in our lives, we will do whatever it takes to do all that we can to keep the kids we love as safe as possible.
So that is why we keep doors locked and make visitors sign in and have video cameras and do safety drills. Because days like today happen in a broken world, and we want to be as prepared as we can be to deal with the senseless actions of broken people. As a teacher, every time we have an intruder drill, I remind myself that, as the adult responsible for my kids, I am responsible for being willing and able to lay my life down for them if it is required.
Just this week I studied John 10 with my 10th graders, and we studied about Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who was willing to lay down his life for His sheep. As teachers, our kids are our sheep, and many today gave their lives to try to protect their sheep.
We are brokenhearted for the teachers, students and parents in Conn., we will pray for all involved, we will keep our own kids a little closer, we will take our own safety drills a little more seriously, and we will remember that God is near to the brokenhearted. I pray for their comfort and peace.
For parents looking for ways to talk to your children, here is a good article.
For believers looking for ways to talk about a good God and an evil world, here are some good thoughts.
Bekah Mason 
Those were both useful articles you linked to. I also think beyond doing “something”, we can do a lot of things directly related to increasing public safety, like re-instituting the assault weapons ban that expired 12 years ago, banning the manufacture of large-capacity magazines, and requiring extra qualification and credentialing for men under age 30, who are the perpetrators in nearly every case of these crimes. Just because we can’t fix the brokenness of the world entirely does not mean we can’t make it better than it is now. Plenty of other countries do not face this level of gun violence.
very well said and thank you for reminding us that the teachers and adminstrators in the school gave their lives for the kids…sad day for all