Yet Another Mass Shooting
Do not let any unwholesome talk come
out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according
to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the
Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get
rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every
form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other,
just as in Christ God forgave you.
– Ephesians 4:29-32
Again?! The news blared with yet another mass
shooting, this one in Thousand Oaks, California, which is considered one of the
safest cities in America. Not anymore, I guess. Or, maybe, it’s a wakeup call
that a mass shooting can happen anywhere.
It’s too early to try and figure out why. We can call
someone deranged. We can try to isolate the incident. But the hard truth is
that it happens way too often, in far too many places, for us not to consider a
broader cause.
Some will decry the lack of God in our schools and
government. Surely, that’s part of the overall problem. But perhaps the
greatest problem is the lack of God in our homes and in our hearts.
How can we continue to view church as an option and expect
our children to know that God is first in all things? How can we complain about
tithing and expect our children to understand that all good things come from
God? And how can we make excuses and blame others for everything bad that
happens and expect our children to take responsibility for their own choices?
We are the problem. Us. Me and you. We are the ones
who need to stop finger pointing and look in the mirror. We need to fix
ourselves first. We need to love God and love others. But we can’t because we’re
too busy condemning them for not being godly when the reality is we aren’t godly
either.
Harsh, truthful words in a political climate that says
we need to get rid of anyone who disagrees with us. We view people on the other
side of an issue as the enemy. We take disagreements personally. We spread lies
that fuel hatred and, when someone calls us on it, we defend our “opinions” and
unfriend them on Facebook. Problem solved? Not even close. And what’s even
worse? We use Jesus’ name to do it.
Every time you condemn someone, others see that cross
swinging from a chain around your neck. But that condemnation doesn’t come from
Jesus. Our Savior welcomed the poor, the outcast, the immigrant. He fought for
those we condemn as unworthy.
We justify our actions as necessary to protect
ourselves. But if God is truly our protector, why do we need to do anything
other than love people? One young man at the shooting Wednesday talked about
helping others in the midst of the chaos and blood and fear. “I know where I’m
going,” he said. He was prepared to die if he could save even one of his
friends. Would we be willing to do the same?
I don’t know your story. I don’t know your heart. But
I do know this: The healing of our nation must begin with showing God’s love to
everyone. It must begin with tempering our words so that we are kind and compassionate,
even in the heat of disagreements. We must change our own attitudes and
remember it’s not us against them but rather all of us on a journey home to be
with Jesus.
Each day we either draw people toward the light of
Christ or we push them away toward despair and hatred and a life separated from
our Savior. Remember your true purpose and live accordingly.
