Somebody: do something…
Unless you live in Broward County, Florida, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School would have never crossed your mind. But, since last week, the public high school has become a national flashpoint for an ongoing political debate. The cry for action is emotionally charged: Somebody: do something…
In crisis, everyone moves into natural response mode. Politicians give speeches; Presidents tweet; members of Congress propose legislation; law enforcement professionals expose security flaws and suggest strategies; Students plan protests and call for action. Somebody: do something…
In the face of tragedy, there is a strata of citizenry that runs across the matrix of all of the aforementioned polarized positions: self-professed Christians. If faith is more than a demographic – if the Christian faith gives us access to truth that is sourced in God and foundational in providing understanding for the most unthinkable crisis – then finding some basis for the disruptions of life in what we deem a “civilized society” is the believer’s default.
The question is resonating: why did Nikolas Jacob Cruz walk onto the campus of his former school with an AR-15 rifle and kill 17 people? And, more urgently: how can we keep it from ever happening again? Somebody: do something…
Regarding the “why” question: here is some background that applies to this malestrom that must be understood:
“The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5).
“He did evil, because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 12:14).
“For fools speak folly, their hearts are bent on evil: They practice ungodliness and spread error concerning the Lord; the hungry they leave empty and from the thirsty they withhold water.” (Isaiah 32:6).
“But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts – murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person…” (Matthew 15:18-20).
In the space of a tweet, here’s the truth: the unredeemed heart is evil; it looks away from God, who is holy. A society that elevates adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony and slander will be an environment that fosters murder. When faith in Jesus Christ is called “mental illness” by talk show hosts while Christian Clubs – and Bibles – are banned on school campuses, lone gunmen will come in their place. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil…” (Isaiah 5:20).
Somebody: do something. “Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure – you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts. My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.” (Psalm 7:9-10).
Christians: why not propose God – and, holiness – as the solution?
Bob Shank
Great and timely message as usual. Will never take for granted your weekly posts of Wisdom.
This is excellent Bob…Anna and I will lead about 50 young people between 23 and 35 each week…I’ll be forwarding this to them.
I shared your message on FaceBook today and just copied it in total and hope this will impact others.
Again, well done Bob.
Amen brother Bob!
Thank you, Bob. Like what happened immediately following 9/11, everyone is charged up and demanding change – or not. We all become motivated by the inspiring, emotional messages from the young people who are speaking out — who speak out from their hearts, and some from their very personal experience of being at the school that terrible day. Politicians publically lobby for change – some sincere, some because that’s what’s expected of them. Who knows if our President and Congress will enact legislation or not.Or if they do, if it will have any meaningful structure or outcomes. Is this a mental health issue or a gun issue? The answer is Yes. The majority of our schools are not informed enough (or at all) about what childhood adversity and toxic stress can do to the developing brain of a child, let alone how to respond to it. Jesus tells us in John Chapter 16 verse 33, “You WILL have trouble” (emphasis, mine). Okay, so we get it. Even people who don’t believe in God or Jesus gets that. So what are e suppose to do now that we all understand that we WILL have trouble? The first thing is to go to the Trouble-Overcomer — Jesus himself. Not to be religious (because I’m not) but to be realistic. The only way to change our world of troubles is to change our hearts, and the only way to change our hearts is to give them away (more appropriately, given them back) to the One who created them in the first place – long before we were even in our mother’s womb. This will not rid our world of mental health issues. But if we become aware of the depth of adversity our children experience, and learn a deeper level of compassion, empathy, and tools to help these children and youth, we may just mitigate the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences and toxic stress. I encourage everyone to seek out the research of the ACE Study and learn for yourselves the powerful negative effects of childhood adversity and toxic stress. (https://www.samhsa.gov/capt/practicing-effective-prevention/prevention-behavioral-health/adverse-childhood-experiences) Where do we get this level of compassion and empathy? Again, from the One who created our hearts before we existed on this planet — Jesus Christ. Because He has had an unending supply of compassion and empathy for us – along with love, mercy, and grace for our own failures. Today I watched an old TED Talk of Billy Graham. He was at a technology conference! His message was so clear, and a perfect fit for a technology audience. He addressed the 3 problems King David found that he or no other person could solve… human evil – human suffering – and death. Watch it., and share it. It supports exactly what Bob has so succinctly stated above. (https://www.ted.com/talks/billy_graham_on_technology_faith_and_suffering#t-949921). Again – thank you, Bob, for this thoughtful post.