Once again we mourn our dead, cut down in the dark by a mentally deranged individual. Once again, the headlines shriek casualties and body counts. And once again, we are left to wonder: why? Why in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado? Why at a midnight showing? Why innocent human beings who never did shooter James Holmes any harm in all their lives?

Flags hang at half-staff and vigils are held. Our wounded spirits find release in prayer and meditation, in contemplation and quiet reflection. Above all, we wonder: what can we do to protect ourselves and our loved ones? How can we keep safe those we love and cherish most? Is there safety anywhere?

We believe there is safety, more, perhaps than we realize. Such incidents as that of early last Friday are, for all their shock value, relatively rare. However much they may repulse and disgust us, they do not overwhelm us by constant repetition of their details, day after wearisome day. There is relief and, especially for some more than others, merciful amnesia. The tissue grows over the wound until the resultant scar is strong enough to bear touch and weight.

Aurora, like Columbine and Virginia Tech, will carry with it infamous memories. It will also carry with it memories of bravery and courage, of refusal to give up in the face of overwhelming odds. With time and patience, Aurora will come to stand for all that is best in us, now and for generations yet to come.