Virginia Tech and the man who understood love

He understood love

I know I wasn't going to blog until May 1, but then Virigina Tech happened. I am so awed by the sacrifice of a single person for those he loved, that I cannot not write. So this is about love.

Liviu Librescu gave his life for his students. According to The Christian Science Monitor, at the first sounds of gunfire, he headed for the door and placed himself protectively in the doorway. He prevented the gunman from entering his classroom, saving the lives of his students by offering them valuable seconds to escape out the windows. They survived. He did not.

What do we say of such a man?

He was in fact a Jew who understood love as defined by another Jew 2000 years ago. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Christ Jesus.

The news reports talk about bravery and courage. But it was more than that. It was love -- the kind of love that transcends mere affection. His son says Liviu considered his students his family, and was generous, kind, and supportive outside the classroom.

Where is God in this terrible tragedy? For me God is found not in the madness or the hate (these are, alas, manmade), but in the lives of people like Liviu Librescu who loved so much he didn’t hesitate to give his life for his friends.

"I make strong demands on love,
call for active witnesses to prove it,
and noble sacrifices and grand achievements as its results."
Mary Baker Eddy

See also Virginia Tech Aftermath April 19 post
and Virginia Tech Prayers