Why does it take Tragedy like Aurora to bring people to the Cross?

I was pondering this as I was looking at pictures of the twelve crosses near Aurora Century 16 Theater.
Seeing a man kneeling down touching one of the crosses that artist Greg Zanis built yet again (He's built many crosses for other mass shootings like Columbine over the years)

Why does it take a tragedy like Aurora to bring people to the Cross I thought?

Being a student of human nature, I've pondered this question many times since I myself became a believer in the Cross, the Cross of Christ. Not the Icon of the cross, but the actual cross of Jesus, the death of Jesus on the cross by the Romans and his enemies over two thousand years ago.

I don't worship the Icon of the cross  because simply, that is Idol worship, but, the death of Christ on the cross of course is the basis of all Christendom, without the cross, there is no salvation, without the cross, there is no forgiveness of sins at all. That's why (I believe) the symbol is so powerful.

Seeing tragedy in others lives I have known (as well as my own), it's become clear to me that for some at least, it's only after tragedy in their lives that many come to the cross.

I used to take my kids to Century 16 theater when they were young and we lived not too far from those theaters.
 Being a musician married to a teacher at the time we were on a tight budget, and the Century 16 theaters were perfect for us and many families with kids in that area. The theater was modern and kept clean
and ran the latest films like "Lord of the Rings", "Star Wars", or the "Ice Age" Films my two boys loved, but the ticket prices were less than other theaters in the Front Range area, usually $3-$4 less per show. So for us it was perfect.

My older son and I attended a film at those theaters about 4 months before the night in July last year, 2012, when an insane gunman methodically shot and killed many innocent men women and children and wounding many others.

The night of the shootings I became a little frantic as my son had said a couple of days before that his College friends were talking about going to the Batman Movie at Century 16 at midnight.
Making several repeated phone calls until about 7 am the next morning I found out my son had not gone to
the midnight screening with his friends, but I learned that someone I knew personally, and was in my band class at a Charter school in Aurora where I once taught had been in the theater next to theater nine. Thankfully this former student of mine was not injured. At least not physically, and I pray that all of the scars from that horrific night will eventually heal,

But, the thought occurred to me "That could have been my son in that theater"

I've watched a few people I know personally that waited until tragedy struck in their lives before kneeling before the cross of Christ and taking the free gift of His forgiveness and salvation. Unfortunately, loss of loved ones
or other sad tragedy happened first.
It seems to be part of human nature that we say, "I can do it myself and I don't need any help" when in fact, all of us need some help at some point in our lives, I know I do and if anyone is truly honest with themselves they would say the same.

Sadly, I've come across parents that have lost their child before humbling themselves and admitting that they need to change, change their thinking, and change their hearts toward the one that created us.
Our creator knows that we need Him, that we are made to have a relationship with Him, that's why He made the way for us to do exactly that, the sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus, who was put on that cross that is represented once again as a balm against these awful shootings so that we won't have to pay the price. God's own Son was put on that cross so that we won't have to be put on it for the sins we commit almost daily.
That's an amazing thing when you think about it...

Looking at the poignant photo of the man kneeling and touching the cross near the Century 16 theaters where I took my kids, my prayer is that those who need to turn to that cross will think carefully while there is still time... and turn to that cross and the one who was nailed on it.