Dealing with Violence When It Becomes Personal

We tend to read about violence in all parts of our community, nation and the world and shake our heads, wondering what to make of it. What about when it becomes personal? A friend told me of his recent visit to his log cabin two and a half miles up a mountain from the nearest highway. When he arrived, he found the cabin trashed and some beer cans strewn about. It took him the whole day to clean it up. It left him shaken, with no obvious explanation other than the antics of a drunking group of ne'er do wells. It left him feeling shaken, without recourse and with little ability to prevent such incidents in the future. Although not the end of the world, maybe incidents such as this give us a little insight into what it is like being the object of much greater violence.