To show kindness to one in pain is one thing, but to do so when that person may very well hurt you, is another level altogether. Yet Keanon Lowe wasn’t thinking about himself. His priority was the well being of all of those around him, including his student who was armed with a gun. He knew he had to act fast and that his actions could make the difference between life and death for all around. So he chose to hug his student who had a shotgun in hand. Not scream at him, not attack him, but rather hug him. And that hug possibly saved numerously lives while showing the student that his life mattered. His hug was an act of support, of comfort, of care and of compassion. It literally and figuratively disarmed him, and made him realize that he wasn’t alone and that ending his life or the life of others would have been a tragic mistake. In Hebrew, the Biblical word for hug, devek, is the same word that in Modern Hebrew means “glue.” A hug is the glue that holds us together. A hug is also the act that takes two people and intertwines them as one, so that the strength is immediately doubled so that one becomes two and two become one. The bravery and quick thinking of Coach Keanon Lowe is a tremendous lesson that kindness can truly be life saving.
