A delicate balance

So shocked and saddened by what happened at Virginia Tech today.

When I was in college (in the Midwest), the campus seemed so familiar, like a second home, which it was for many of us. A certain sense of safety prevailed. Sure, there were break-ins from time to time, vandalism, petty stuff. We were told to lock our rooms, walk with others, and not alone, at night. But we never had to deal with bomb scares. No one was ever murdered. And no one ever thought about someone going on a shooting spree on campus.

So many questions about what happened today. Some of which may never be answered.

It seems that the more electronically connected we are, the more distant we become. Pixels, bytes, instant messages, and the "wild west" of internet culture; units of 0 and 1 propelling a lot of our world today. Things become faster, more competitive, more isolated. But at what price? How can we balance our technological progress with our human needs? What is the value of endeavor? Of balance? Of our lives?

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The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life.
--Albert Einstein

Happiness is not a matter of intensity, but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.
--Thomas Merton