[Darris McNeely] I came into the studio here today with the intent of doing a Beyond Today Daily on one subject, and then on coming on I learned of a very tragic shooting that has once again riveted our attention to our schools, to our children, and to a scene of violence. And so I had to change my topic to at least make a comment about what has happened.

It appears now in Connecticut, this morning, in an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut where a gunman walked in with loaded pistols and in the aftermath according to the current reports that have just come off from CBS News, leaving 27 dead including 18 children in this elementary school shooting. Something like this is just incomprehensible. We continue to hear stories, one after another, in America especially and in other countries of violent rampages by deranged individuals who prey on innocent people.

Just a few months ago, it was in a movie theater in Colorado. In the past, colleges, high schools have been targeted where students were there, and even churches and places where people work. To think about 18 children in an elementary school setting being gunned down this morning in the United States of America, it's difficult for us to wrap our minds and our hearts around that. Our thoughts, our concern, our prayers go out to the families, to the victims here, to those who have to pick up the pieces of this in a community, and families that have to go on and make sense of this, the questions that will be asked - of "How can this happen in this country?" "Didn't anyone know?" "Were there warning signs?" and probably, of course, the ultimate question that people will be asking is, "Where was God and why didn't God keep this from happening?"

And so once again in Beyond Today, for this Daily, and in our own programming here, we do have to bring ourselves back to God and to the bigger questions of why these things happen.

We tackled this subject a few months ago after the Colorado movie theater showings where we did a television program on Beyond Today called, "When Evil Walks In" and Gary, Steve, and I sat down on this set and we took the time to explain from Scripture and to talk about that for an audience knowing full well that that program was too late for the Colorado shootings, but that it would happen again because we live in a violent society. And so as we wrap our minds around this and we try to think our way forward, let me put you back to that program and encourage you to go to BeyondToday.tv and look at the program that we did, "When Evil Walks In" and listen to it and carefully, prayerfully think it through for understanding. And certainly pray to God, the God of Heaven, for understanding of why these things take place.

These innocent children and these other adults that were gunned down in this Connecticut elementary school will not be forgotten by God. Understand that at the outset. God knows who they are, and they will not be forgotten. And certainly they're not going to be forgotten by those who live on now and have to deal with this.

So what else can we and should we say at a time like this?

I'm drawn to the Scripture in Matthew 6:10. Perhaps this is where I can only begin today where Christ did say to His disciples and to His followers as we pray to our Father in heaven, "Pray 'Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'"

Violent acts like this remind us that there are pockets - there are places yet in today's world where God's will is not being done on this earth. And so we need to think about that. And as our prayers go out to the victims and to their families, we all think this carefully through, go home tonight or grab your children, or bring them around you and give them a hug and tell them that you love them. And join us all in praying, "Thy Kingdom come."

For Beyond Today, I'm Darris McNeely, thanks for watching.