There are a few flowers that have been known to be very hardy. Hardy means that it can survive many different conditions. Cold or extreme hot climate, drought, being cut down. No matter what happens to these flowers, for example, the daisy, they keep growing and becoming stronger.
What any gardener will tell you is this: if you cut the beautiful flowers that daisies produce, a new one will grow in its place. You may even see more blooms by cutting the flowers off.
Since we are in the heat of summer, and flowers are beginning to grow and take place, I can’t help but think about what happened to our poor little flowers that were killed on the bus from the St. Samuel Monastery recently. You hear about innocent lives being taken by acts of terrorism and murderers, and wonder when will this end? How many more lives have to be lost before this world changes? I’ve mentioned before that in order for us to see peace in this country, and among the people, we need to grow a new culture, a new understanding, a new respect for each other. It only takes 1 Sheikh to tell a Mosque that to make “Allah” happy, go an slaughter innocent Christian children. 1 Sheikh is all it takes to infect the minds of hundreds of people.
This violence is nothing new. This tragedy is nothing new. This heartbreak is nothing new. As Copts living in this country, we will continue to see bloodshed. We will continue to cry for our lost ones. We will continue to battle a war in our own heart EVERYDAY between hatred and love because of the actions of murderers.
There is one thing that will never change however. A truth that will always remain the same. When you cut down a beautiful flower, another will grow in its place. Another perhaps stronger, or another two, or three. The Coptic people are the same as the daisy. We keep getting cut and torn apart. Ripped from life too soon, stolen from the earth, but you can be sure that another flower of God will grow. Killing us will only make us stronger, make us more perseverant, make us more faithful. It is in the time of tragedy that those who know God will turn to Him and beg Him for mercy, for grace, for understanding.
While I’m sorry for this terrible tragedy and the death of all these people, I am humbled to know that the Coptic people will never be wiped out or cut down. We will always thrive and bloom, and become stronger because of it. Terrorists may cut us down and take away our beauty, but God will allow the flowers, us, to keep blooming, and the beauty will always return.
