Bad news out of Texas and Georgia yesterday. I think I speak for everyone when I say that I was over seeing things like years ago. One of the duties of our society and parents is to keep the most vulnerable of our citizens safe and we fail them with every school shooting.
Unfortunately instead of coming together as Americans to mourn the dead we are too quick to dunk ourselves into the mud pit of politics. You can argue all you want about whether guns are good or bad, or whether we should repeal the 2nd Amendment, or whether the NRA is a terrible organization. These don’t serve us well because I think they miss the heart of the problem that leads to these terrible things happening.
We want everyone to be safe and free in this country. Our problem is not always that our laws or institutions are flawed, it is that humanity is flawed. Humans are weak by our nature. I am not perfect. Are you? So to become more perfect, I feel that we need to look to the best example of perfection which is God. I think our society has to do a better job of teaching children the importance, value, and unique dignity of human life. The only way that can be objectively true is to have that truth come from God. Human life is one of the most sacred things that exists. There will never be another person like each of us in human history. Where there is human life, there is potential for us to use our talents and abilities for good and to help bring out the best in the people in our lives. If everyone knew and practiced this we would be less likely to use other people for selfish reasons and toss away lives when it is convenient.
On another note, I will be praying for the victims of these terrible shootings. I think it is so insensitive for people to criticize others for wanting to pray for victims of school shootings or other criminal acts because they say it “doesn’t do anything”. Prayer is not about preventing tragedies, but about giving comfort to people affected by them. Prayer is talking to God so that we can grow closer to him and ask for grace for the souls of people who have died. From this comes the healing that will help move people to action to prevent things like this from happening again. Prayer is never wasted.
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven ,and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 1 Chronicles 7:14.
Bo Thompson 