I've finally stopped crying. For now at least.

My pastor, colleague, and friend, Kyle Lake, died yesterday.

It's so wrong, so sad, so surreal. Friends from the past stare at each other in shock as our eyes well up with tears. Those who have to provide structure for the chaos are in denial. So many traumatized teenagers. So many grieving friends and family.

I cannot process it all. I cannot believe it. And I'm still waiting for someone to say it was another stupid stunt.

I can't even think of what to say because . . .

because . . .

it is just stupid. As Wes Eades told me last night, the world is just stupid sometimes.

But that's not much help.

As with Katrina and so many other tragedies, the laws of nature intersected with humanity, and humanity lost.

Jen, Avery, Jude, Sutton, Craig, David, Toni, TK, Ben, Jamie, Blair, Jordan . . . I am so sorry. I know I only feel an ounce of the loss you feel. I love you.

Good-bye Kyle. Thank you. I'll write more later. And I love you too...