Call for prayers from a Littleton native

I'm from Littleton, Colorado. Pretty sure most of you knew that, but if not, there ya go. Littleton is famous for one thing and one thing only: Columbine High School. I was in fourth grade when the shooting happened and that such a vicious act could occur in the city where I played cops and robbers shook me bad.

To be completely honest, I didn't know where Columbine was. I didn't know anyone who went there; it was on the other side of small Littleton and in another school district, so my 10-year-old mind was largely unaware of its existence before the shooting. But then, my perceptions of the place I lived changed. All of a sudden, it became a place to be afraid for my brother to go to high school, because that's the only place these kinds of things happen. High schools, with crazy, mixed up teenagers, right?

Today, as in the past, we learned that that's not true. Today, more than two dozen people, including 18 children, possibly all in the same kindergarten class, were killed in one of the worst school shootings in history. Columbine's casualty count pales in comparison with this one, which likewise occurred in a seemingly friendly, quiet suburb.

My heart aches for those affected by it. At this time of year, in that particular place, with those alleged motives behind the shooting? It makes me ache.

There's a lot going on in the world right now. A lot of political and social agenda being bandied around, by me and others. The Church is in the media, for better and worse. We disagree, we argue, we fight for what we think is best. That is all well and good; we need to fight for those things in which we believe.

But now isn't the time. Now is the time for prayers and well wishes to go to all those affected by these events. Literally nothing earthbound could help these grieving parents and community members, so now is the time for love and divine intervention to help pick up the pieces. Will you please just say a quick prayer for those people? Please?