At this moment, my heart and mind are on the victims of Malaysian Flight 17.  There is video of Ukrainian Separatists  acknowledging calmly that they knew 100% that the plane was a civilian plane. How do people knowingly shoot down a civilian airliner filled with men, women, children and infants? I have heard numbers but I am not certain of them at present. I will get them and share them with you.

As I wrote yesterday, the lives are gone. Their potential is gone. We can only imagine what is lost. What child might have made a break-through in curing Cancer?  But what we do know that we have lost, is one hundred scientists on their way to an international HIV/AIDS conference in Australia.  Because of this there will be people somewhere in our world who will die, whose chance at life is now gone.

Of the 295 people on the plane, 189 were Dutch.  My heart goes out to the Dutch people. I can’t even think of enough words to say how sorry I am and how I am so sorry for all the Dutch people. I know this must crush your hearts. You lost friends and colleagues. you lost children and grandchildren. I have nine grandchildren and I can’t imagine losing any of them. My words feel inadequate but the light and love I am sending to you is real. Mothers and fathers are dead, husbands and wives are gone leaving a hole within the families left behind. Nothing ever fills that hole; it remains forever and you learn to live around it. You try not to look at it, but time never takes it completely away. I say this from experience. Again, to the Dutch people, you have my deepest condolences.

Human beings have not learned that our actions have consequences. There are no acts committed that do not ripple like a pebble in a pond. We must learn from this. I am sorry for the conflict in the Ukraine and have prayer for a good solution. Committing acts such as this does not bring you the support of the world. There is no excuse for this type of unnecessary carnage to private citizens.

The children and three infants on the plane had no part in your conflict. But they were loved and had a purpose to their lives that will not be fulfilled. My heart also goes out to the Malaysian people. They have just suffered a huge loss with the flight that so recently disappeared and this will tear the scab off of that wound. May God heal your hearts and minds. To the Australian people, who also had people on flight 17, I am so sorry for your losses. So unnecessary and so horrible.

In addition to all of the scientists and advocates for HIV/AIDS who have devoted their lives to the task for ending the scourge of HIV/AIDS. I was a certified HIV/AIDS counselor in the capacity of one of my prior jobs. I know how it feels to tell someone that they were positive for HIV, and I know how critical research and advocacy for HIV/AIDS is. Many more people around the world will die because of this act of war.

The entire world is grieving with the friends and families of these victims. We are so sorry for your losses. And we hope you will find comfort and solace with the passage of time. And I also want to give condolences to the family and friends of the one American that has been identified as a passenger of this doomed flight. May God give you all peace and comfort in this tying time.