O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57.
By Rufus Berry, [email protected], Contributing Writer
No parent should ever have to endure the pain of burying their child. This is only the beginning of a lifetime of indescribable grief and suffering. Every day for the rest of their lives, they will live with this pain.
We should turn the pain of the Ireland family into purpose following the tragic shooting death of Precious Ireland by her classmate. It’s been more than 24 hours since Precious young life was cut short while at school. That’s why as parents and friends of Dr. Phillip & Rita Rose Ireland, we must come together to show support to this grieving family.
No one in their wildest dream could have imagined that this extremely horrible thing could happen at the prestigious Cyber-Ed Christian School or in any school in the republic of Liberia. The shock is so great that it is difficult to know what might be best for our children.
Regardless of this unimaginable tragedy that occurred at the school, let’s remember that violence is not specifically a school problem. It is a societal problem in our beloved republic and more children die from none gun-related incidents away from school daily.
This heartbreaking event resulting in the death of the daughter of perhaps the most beloved medical doctor in the republic of Liberia, will certainly have extensive media coverage. However, we have to reassure our children that, although this was terrifying, it is extraordinary tragedy and not the norm within our schools and that our schools are still the safest place for our children to be.. If our children are anxious about going back to school, we should allow them to call us during the day so we could encourage them to stay at school. The Ministry of Education and school administrators should go the extra mile to voice their faith that the schools in Liberia are doing many things to keep our kids safe, especially now.
Nothing is more painful in this world than losing a beloved child. As my rector, the Rev. Fr. Michael Sie said “our prayers are with Dr. Phillip & Sis. Rita Rose Ireland …. Let their faith be their consolation and eternal life their hope.”
We say to Dr. Phillip & Rita Rose Ireland and to the entire family, we pray that God will comfort and quicken her soul.
May God bless you Precious , may he keep you, may he pour his countenance upon you, and may he grant your soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest eternal in perfect peace. Amen.