50 years after Kennedy’s death, what have we learned?

Do you remember where you were on Friday, Nov. 22, 1963? Fifty years ago, President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed as he rode through Dallas in an open limousine. The event still sends shockwaves through our country today and causes people to remember and wonder.

Obviously, many today were not alive and don’t remember this event. I do. I was sitting in my fifth-grade class at Maple Street School in Easthampton, Mass. The principal came into our classroom and told us that something had happened to the president. Her facts were wrong when we first heard about this tragedy, but we slowly learned the sad truth. In fact, I spent that weekend with my uncle and aunt. All weekend we watched their black-and-white TV, learning about the shooting of the president and all the news surrounding the event.

Perhaps because it’s the 50-year anniversary, I have found myself thinking even more this year than in previous years about this tragedy that continues to shape our country. But others also paid more attention. I’ve noticed the news articles and saw the schedule of TV shows that point back to the assassination.

Someone asked me, “Do you think Oswald acted alone?” But the question is not just who killed the president. The question that seems to continue to be unanswered is, why was President Kennedy killed? Have we learned from the death of our president and changed as a nation? Or do the same issues that led to Kennedy’s assassination threaten more violence today?

As I had the Kennedy assassination on my mind, I happened to read Psalm 105 and Psalm 106 in my devotions. I’m not sure I ever quite caught the unique nature of these Psalms. They are prayers that confess the sins of the Israelite nation and ask for and hope in God’s mercy and deliverance. At the beginning of this Psalm the people confess, “We have sinned, even as our fathers did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.”

Then after many verses that recount the many ways the people of God had rebelled against him, near the very end of the Psalm the people turn to the mercy and love of God with hearts of repentance: “But he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented. He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive. Save us, O lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.”

As I look back on the violent death of our president in 1963, I confess that I have greater concern for our country today. I often pray for our leaders. But today I pray more for repentance by the people of our nation. I have come to believe that decisions by our leaders that seem to lead us in ungodly or unwise ways are often instances when the leaders are following the desires of the people. When I pray for repentance for our people, I am not just praying for recognition of our rebellion and that God’s ways are the best and healthiest ways to live. Repentance also recognizes the call of God to his mercy and love, especially as that is shown in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The people of Israel remembered their rebellion and turned to God in repentance. I pray the same for the people of our country today as I remember the assassination of President Kennedy 50 years ago.

Jonathan Rockey is pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer. Contact him at jonrock53@mtaonline.net.

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