Recently two little girls were raped and murdered in India. They were 11. The horror of the last few hours of their lives haunts me.

11 is childhood.

Something terrible is broken in the minds of men who kidnap, rape, and murder children.

Revelation 8:1-13 KJV
[1] And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. [2] And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. [3] And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. [4] And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. [5] And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. [6] And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. [7] The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. [8] And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; [9] And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. [10] And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; [11] And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. [12] And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. [13] And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

Sometimes the powerlessness of small ones in both life and death feels irrevocable and overwhelming.

But our God minds every sparrow

The story is not over

Until we hear his voice…

I wish there were a salve that I could pour out over the avenue pietà

Blown glass overflown with

Remedy made of light

An unspooling of the reckless myopia that led to the senseless tragedy

The beloved returned home

Wish.

V. Prayer—

The fragile vessel, the mind, the heart, the words spilled out to the God of Time and Propitiation

I don’t care if I don’t understand the words and can’t see the light

He will come back

Scoop up the Beloved

Call us Home