During the 2012 Christmas season, we sang songs of peace and hope, such as "Joy to the World" and "Silent Night." As we sang those songs, "all is calm, all is bright," did not describe the condition of our nation.
Nearly two weeks before Christmas, a 20-year-old man fatally shot his mother at home, and then shot 20 children, ages 6 and 7, and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, before turning the gun on himself. In late October, a hurricane-turned-superstorm affected 24 states and left a path of death and destruction. Some survivors of Hurricane Sandy are still grieving over the death of their loved ones and dealing with loss of their property. In June, a gunman killed 12 people, injured 59, and then killed himself at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.
Not only did these events leave our country in mourning, it left grieving family members and close friends wondering how will they ever move on with their lives. You may have had personal disappointments and heartaches that were not made public, but still left you feeling fearful and hopeless.
