by Preaching Magazine, 2025-Winter
Steve Hartman is known for telling beautiful personal stories on the CBS television platforms. A
recent story was particularly poignant and heart rending. It was discovered that many parents of
children slain in school shootings have left the children’s rooms just as they were. Some rooms
are neat, some are messy, but all reflect the personalities of their lost children. The purpose of
the visits went beyond just a television report. A photographer had received permission to
photograph the rooms just as they were for a new book of remembrance. Some parents talked
about the fact that they just could not bear to repurpose the rooms. Some said the room made
them terribly sad, others said there was a mix of sadness and joy. How can both of those
emotions co-exist? Christians have a place of remembrance. It is called the Lord’s Table. Many
communion tables carry the inscription, “In Remembrance of Me.” When we are there we
experience both sadness and joy. There is sadness because of what Jesus endured. There is
joy because of what Jesus accomplished.
