Update: Follow-up article can be found here.

It’s been almost 2 years since the ‘Virginia Tech Massacre’ as the media calls it.  April 16th is just around the corner, and when…if, that day arrives, there will be much said, remembered, and recalled when that particular date rolls around. At least it will in Blacksburg, VA.

I know I won’t forget it. My wife was working at the office on the outskirts of the VT campus that morning. I remember running back and forth from the television with its minute by minute updates, continually adding to the number of deaths, to the phone to call and see if she was ok.

It was horrible. I remember driving around town, at least where we were allowed to, and being amazed at the number of authorities from every branch of law enforcement you could imagine that had swarmed down upon the town like locusts.

I’ve lived here since the mid 70’s, and never did I expect our little town to be the center of international attention. But it became just that. It was everything you could imagine. Exciting. Warped. Tragic. Horrible. Evil. At the same time, God was working for His own good pleasure. The shootings broke all of our hearts, yes. We mourned, yes. During it all, many were frightened.

Yet within hours, literally, and in the day’s, weeks, month’s and yes, years that followed, most who were ‘on the outside’ had no idea of the exploitation of what had occurred. None whatsoever. I did. And it almost broke my heart more than the shootings, if that’s possible.

I cannot remember how many times I have been asked by friends from all over, “It surely must have opened opportunities for you. I bet your attendance increased didn’t it?” Well, to be honest, no, it didn’t. Quite the opposite.

Attendance did not increase in worship services where the Gospel was truly being preached. It did increase however, where there were female ‘pastor’s’ and those abominable ‘churches’ around town where the office of pastor-teacher was not only frowned on but despised. Hokie Sports is the god in Blacksburg, where even athletic events kick off at 11 A.M…..on Sundays. Church growth and the public’s money is ever in focus here. After all, we need their money to pay the bills, so let’s woo ‘em with whatever it takes. Donuts, Mommy’s Monday, and whatever else strikes the fancy of the emergent gurus.

The biggest problem in Blacksburg may well indeed be the ‘home church’, where untold numbers gather together every Sunday, to hear the Word ‘preached’ by those not called to, and where everyone is invited to do just that, preach. There’s a tragedy.

Listen, there are more church buildings in Blacksburg than you can shake a stick at, on every corner, literally. Yet few preach the Gospel according to Scripture. The one church in Blacksburg I absolutely knew proclaimed the Gospel, recently lost their pastor-teacher to retirement.

You need to understand that Blacksburg, VA is not exactly a town that bows the knee to Almighty God. It’s like many university towns….absolutely pagan. Bookstores filled with new age garbage, witchcraft, etc., all catering to every metal-pierced, flourescent hair-dyed college student craving attention, and love. And most of the preachers here are so busy competing with each other for members, they forget they will be accountable for their message and their actions. Nothing new under the sun. There’s a tragedy.

But, I digress.  Shortly after the shooting, every religious group you can imagine swarmed down on our sleepy little town out of nowhere. Helicopter’s filled the skies. Every network made it’s presence known. Streets you could normally walk down at your leisure were suddenly closed to the public. Tents containing news teams dotted the area. It was amazing to see.

I even received  a phone call asking for contacts so Hollywood celebrities with their own religious agenda could get in on the action. Suddenly, the TODAY show was setting up for live broadcasts, and there’s Matt Lauer walking into our Krispy Kreme store.

Shortly afterwards, the President of the United States shows up and delivers a message to us all. Even it was shameless. George Bush acknowledged every diety under the sun, except Jesus Christ. Acknowledged every religion under the sun, except Christianity. There’s the tragedy.

There were times I found myself wondering, if the greatest tragedy was the shooting, or the exploitation of it all for profit, in whatever form that took. Virginia Tech is still exploiting the shootings, even to this day, and I have no doubt they will continue to do so as long as the money continues to pour in.

Among the many who exploited the shootings, there was Franklin Graham. Along with the denial of God’s Sovereignty by one of the worlds leading evangelist, Graham actually gave credit to the Devil for being in charge of things. That too was a shame.

As we near the anniversary date, there will no doubt be more exploitation, money making, and the like. I can’t stop it. But I, and you, can pray about it. After all, in spite of what Dr. Graham says, it is not the Devil behind these things. Our God is behind all things, for God is sovereign, amen? Amen.

Here’s a taste of the exploitation in case you missed it: