Dylan and his favorite teacher, Anne Marie, deliver a powerful message of unconditional love. Dylan was a special needs child who loved people. He especially loved Anne Marie, having a picture of her on the frig at home that he would point at often. He was learning to read and so proud of this new skill, and his favorite teacher was right there helping to make this happen. I suppose it is no surprise that Dylan was with Anne Marie on the morning of the tragedy. They were just going about their day like any other. And it should not be any surprise that a teacher, loved so much by her student, would risk her own life in the effort to save Dylan. Unconditional love was abound on that fateful morning. Dylan died wrapped in the arms of his beloved teacher, Anne.
In fact, all the teachers who worked with Dylan at Sandy Hook were killed on that day trying to protect him and the other children in the school. This did not go unnoticed by Dylan's family as they spoke of them at his funeral as well, stating: "Though our hearts break for Dylan, they are filled with love for these beautiful women [Dawn, Anne Marie, Vicki, Mary, and Rachel] who all selflessly died trying to save our children."So, although it is easy to be cynical in a world that allows the death of such innocent children and women willing to show unconditional love, we cannot allow ourselves to be discouraged. We need to work together to find peace. In my Bible readings this morning, this was drilled home, "Encourage yourselves daily while it is still 'today,' so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin." (Hebrews 3:7-14)
May we also learn from their lives lost and find ways to show love to others. Unconditional love...the kind that is spoken of by Jesus, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
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