I am deeply saddened by the level of violence and death at the ‪Aurora Colorado Century 16 Theater. Words cannot fully comprehend my profound sadness of the pain and years of post-traumatic stress many will experience, including the victims, workers, medical technicians, medical clinicians, fire department and police officers.

Still, in the days and weeks ahead, this shooting and that involving George Zimmerman will ultimately become linked.  Somewhere, somehow, many in fact, will ultimately claim, “…this was part of God’s plan.”

If that’s that really the case, then ‘God’s a chicken shit.’ If people believe that these acts were truly the will of God, then these acts are the very best reason never to believe in God! It’s plain and simple, there’s no other way around it.  I just cannot see why all these people had to die.

I am not stating this in response to the God I believe. Rather I state this to all those like Mr. Zimmerman who publicly espouse some diatribe of their belief of the Holy Spirit. If these events are the work of God, then this is simply a not a God I choose to accept. How could God be in the horror of Aurora, Colorado? The difference between this level death and the level of love people claim God communicates is irreconcilable.

What’s clearly lacking in Aurora, Colorado and Sanford, Florida was one’s ability to step beyond their adrenalin and become the better man. In Mr. Zimmerman’s case, a better man would have walked away. In Colorado, a better man could have seen how personal actions were leading onto an avalanche of untold grief. Either man could have and should have evaluated the road less taken and stopped. Yet both, for some untold reason, proceeded as if thought and action were not interdependent.

I’m appalled God can sit in Heaven and allow His name to be contextually used by George Zimmerman, “I feel like it was all God’s plan.” It’s sad, disgusting and disingenuous.

The real love of God can be found in the actions of those who gave their life for another. Real love can be found in every first-responder and victim. These people all gave us an insight of true love, the connectedness, the oneness and brief moments where God did reach through darkness, grabbed our pain and allowed all of us to remember how interdependent we are. It’s because of their love that we find an innate ability to wake up and move forward.

I believe in the Buddhist precept, do no harm. Personally, I accept the Constitution’s Right to Bear Arms. I don’t like it, but I accept it.  However, someone with better logic has to explain to me why a twenty something year-old kid needs to own an AK-47.

As the character Kenny O’Donnell (Thirteen Days) quoted:

“If the sun comes up tomorrow, it is only because of men of good will. And that’s all there is between us and the devil.”

I hope each of us believes and responds to the goodwill like fellow citizens of Aurora, Colorado and their neighbors. And to God, if you believe in this type of ‘goodwill,’ then I’m in.