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17일, 이 날은 버지니아 공대의 학생들과 전 국민이 깊은 슬픔으로 애도하는 날이었다.
지난 16일 일어난 총기 사건의 범인 조승희가 32명을 사살하고 자살한 하루 뒤, 부시 대통령은 블랙스버그 캠퍼스로 와 추모 집회를 했다.
"여러분을 한 번도 만난 적 없는 이들이 여러분을 위해서 기도하고 있습니다."라고 부시는 말했다. "그들은 희생당하고 상처 입은 여러분의 친구들을 위해 기도하고 있습니다. 이 기도에는 진정한 힘이 있습니다. 이러한 때에, 우리는 하나님의 은혜와 인도하심 가운데 안식을 찾을 수 있을 것입니다."
부시는 버지니아 텍의 로고(VT)로 만들어진 추모기념물에 그의 사인을 하면서 그의 애도를 학생들과 희생자들의 유가족들에게 전하기도 했다.
"이런 상황에서는 우리는 우리를 지탱시킬 만한 힘을 찾고 있습니다. 그리고 이러한 상실의 때에, 당신은 당신의 주변에 여러 그러한 원천들이 있다는 것을 발견하게 될 것입니다."라며 부시 대통령은 주변에 많은 도움의 손길이 있다는 것을 말했다.
그 누구보다도 가장 충격에 빠져 있는 버지니아 공대 학생들을 위해 학내 기독교 동아리들은 학생들을 위로하고 상담하는 사역을 활발하게 펼치고 있다.
기독교 동아리 카이 알파(Chi Alpha, 하나님의 성회 산하 대학 기독교 단체)의 존 라이스 지도목사는 하나님의 성회 뉴스를 통해 "아직도 많은 학생들이 충격을 받은 상태로 있습니다. 이 시기에 학생들을 많은 도움을 필요로 합니다."라고 학생들을 지속적으로 돌보고 상담하는 사역이 중요함을 강조했다.
또 다른 기독교 동아리인 인터바시티(InterVarsity) 역시 회원 학생들을 동원해 다른 학생들의 이야기를 듣고 그들을 위로하는 사역을 진행해 나가고 있다.
"이 사건은 미 역사상 최악의 학원 폭력 사건입니다." 라고 부시 대통령은 지적하면서 위로의 말을 전했다.
"그리고 이 끔찍한 애도의 날에, 버지니아 공대가 다시금 이전처럼 생기를 되찾게 된다는 것을 상상하긴 힙듭니다. 하지만, 그 날이 꼭 올 것입니다. 하나님의 축복이 희생된 영혼들에게 함께 하시길 기도합니다. 그리고 그의 사랑이 이 일로 고통받고 슬퍼하는 이들에게 함께하길 기원합니다."
부시 대통령 추모사 동영상
추모사 전문
Governor, thank you. President Steger, thank you very much. Students, and faculty, and staff, and grieving family members, and members of this really extraordinary place.
Laura and I have come to Blacksburg today with hearts full of sorrow. This is a day of mourning for the Virginia Tech community and it is a day of sadness for our entire nation. We've come to express our sympathy. In this time of anguish, I hope you know that people all over this country are thinking about you, and asking God to provide comfort for all who have been affected.
Yesterday began like any other day. Students woke up, and they grabbed their backpacks and they headed for class. And soon the day took a dark turn, with students and faculty barricading themselves in classrooms and dormitories confused, terrified, and deeply worried. By the end of the morning, it was the worst day of violence on a college campus in American history and for many of you here today, it was the worst day of your lives.
It's impossible to make sense of such violence and suffering. Those whose lives were taken did nothing to deserve their fate. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now they're gone and they leave behind grieving families, and grieving classmates, and a grieving nation.
In such times as this, we look for sources of strength to sustain us. And in this moment of loss, you're finding these sources everywhere around you. These sources of strength are in this community, this college community. You have a compassionate and resilient community here at Virginia Tech. Even as yesterday's events were still unfolding, members of this community found each other; you came together in dorm rooms and dining halls and on blogs. One recent graduate wrote this "I don't know most of you guys, but we're all Hokies, which means we're family. To all of you who are okay, I'm happy for that. For those of you who are in pain or have lost someone close to you, I'm sure you can call on anyone of us and have help any time you need it."
These sources of strength are with your loved ones. For many of you, your first instinct was to call home and let your moms and dads know that you were okay. Others took on the terrible duty of calling the relatives of a classmate or a colleague who had been wounded or lost. I know many of you feel awfully far away from people you lean on and people you count on during difficult times. But as a dad, I can assure you, a parent's love is never far from their child's heart. And as you draw closer to your own families in the coming days, I ask you to reach out to those who ache for sons and daughters who will never come home.
These sources of strength are also in the faith that sustains so many of us. Across the town of Blacksburg and in towns all across America, houses of worship from every faith have opened their doors and have lifted you up in prayer. People who have never met you are praying for you; they're praying for your friends who have fallen and who are injured. There's a power in these prayers, real power. In times like this, we can find comfort in the grace and guidance of a loving God. As the Scriptures tell us, "Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
And on this terrible day of mourning, it's hard to imagine that a time will come when life at Virginia Tech will return to normal. But such a day will come. And when it does, you will always remember the friends and teachers who were lost yesterday, and the time you shared with them, and the lives they hoped to lead. May God bless you. May God bless and keep the souls of the lost. And may His love touch all those who suffer and grieve. (Applause.)
지난 16일 일어난 총기 사건의 범인 조승희가 32명을 사살하고 자살한 하루 뒤, 부시 대통령은 블랙스버그 캠퍼스로 와 추모 집회를 했다.
"여러분을 한 번도 만난 적 없는 이들이 여러분을 위해서 기도하고 있습니다."라고 부시는 말했다. "그들은 희생당하고 상처 입은 여러분의 친구들을 위해 기도하고 있습니다. 이 기도에는 진정한 힘이 있습니다. 이러한 때에, 우리는 하나님의 은혜와 인도하심 가운데 안식을 찾을 수 있을 것입니다."
부시는 버지니아 텍의 로고(VT)로 만들어진 추모기념물에 그의 사인을 하면서 그의 애도를 학생들과 희생자들의 유가족들에게 전하기도 했다.
"이런 상황에서는 우리는 우리를 지탱시킬 만한 힘을 찾고 있습니다. 그리고 이러한 상실의 때에, 당신은 당신의 주변에 여러 그러한 원천들이 있다는 것을 발견하게 될 것입니다."라며 부시 대통령은 주변에 많은 도움의 손길이 있다는 것을 말했다.
그 누구보다도 가장 충격에 빠져 있는 버지니아 공대 학생들을 위해 학내 기독교 동아리들은 학생들을 위로하고 상담하는 사역을 활발하게 펼치고 있다.
기독교 동아리 카이 알파(Chi Alpha, 하나님의 성회 산하 대학 기독교 단체)의 존 라이스 지도목사는 하나님의 성회 뉴스를 통해 "아직도 많은 학생들이 충격을 받은 상태로 있습니다. 이 시기에 학생들을 많은 도움을 필요로 합니다."라고 학생들을 지속적으로 돌보고 상담하는 사역이 중요함을 강조했다.
또 다른 기독교 동아리인 인터바시티(InterVarsity) 역시 회원 학생들을 동원해 다른 학생들의 이야기를 듣고 그들을 위로하는 사역을 진행해 나가고 있다.
"이 사건은 미 역사상 최악의 학원 폭력 사건입니다." 라고 부시 대통령은 지적하면서 위로의 말을 전했다.
"그리고 이 끔찍한 애도의 날에, 버지니아 공대가 다시금 이전처럼 생기를 되찾게 된다는 것을 상상하긴 힙듭니다. 하지만, 그 날이 꼭 올 것입니다. 하나님의 축복이 희생된 영혼들에게 함께 하시길 기도합니다. 그리고 그의 사랑이 이 일로 고통받고 슬퍼하는 이들에게 함께하길 기원합니다."
부시 대통령 추모사 동영상
추모사 전문
Governor, thank you. President Steger, thank you very much. Students, and faculty, and staff, and grieving family members, and members of this really extraordinary place.
Laura and I have come to Blacksburg today with hearts full of sorrow. This is a day of mourning for the Virginia Tech community and it is a day of sadness for our entire nation. We've come to express our sympathy. In this time of anguish, I hope you know that people all over this country are thinking about you, and asking God to provide comfort for all who have been affected.
Yesterday began like any other day. Students woke up, and they grabbed their backpacks and they headed for class. And soon the day took a dark turn, with students and faculty barricading themselves in classrooms and dormitories confused, terrified, and deeply worried. By the end of the morning, it was the worst day of violence on a college campus in American history and for many of you here today, it was the worst day of your lives.
It's impossible to make sense of such violence and suffering. Those whose lives were taken did nothing to deserve their fate. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now they're gone and they leave behind grieving families, and grieving classmates, and a grieving nation.
In such times as this, we look for sources of strength to sustain us. And in this moment of loss, you're finding these sources everywhere around you. These sources of strength are in this community, this college community. You have a compassionate and resilient community here at Virginia Tech. Even as yesterday's events were still unfolding, members of this community found each other; you came together in dorm rooms and dining halls and on blogs. One recent graduate wrote this "I don't know most of you guys, but we're all Hokies, which means we're family. To all of you who are okay, I'm happy for that. For those of you who are in pain or have lost someone close to you, I'm sure you can call on anyone of us and have help any time you need it."
These sources of strength are with your loved ones. For many of you, your first instinct was to call home and let your moms and dads know that you were okay. Others took on the terrible duty of calling the relatives of a classmate or a colleague who had been wounded or lost. I know many of you feel awfully far away from people you lean on and people you count on during difficult times. But as a dad, I can assure you, a parent's love is never far from their child's heart. And as you draw closer to your own families in the coming days, I ask you to reach out to those who ache for sons and daughters who will never come home.
These sources of strength are also in the faith that sustains so many of us. Across the town of Blacksburg and in towns all across America, houses of worship from every faith have opened their doors and have lifted you up in prayer. People who have never met you are praying for you; they're praying for your friends who have fallen and who are injured. There's a power in these prayers, real power. In times like this, we can find comfort in the grace and guidance of a loving God. As the Scriptures tell us, "Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
And on this terrible day of mourning, it's hard to imagine that a time will come when life at Virginia Tech will return to normal. But such a day will come. And when it does, you will always remember the friends and teachers who were lost yesterday, and the time you shared with them, and the lives they hoped to lead. May God bless you. May God bless and keep the souls of the lost. And may His love touch all those who suffer and grieve. (Applause.)
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