Taking away guns or adding guns- neither of those will take away the hate that causes people to do things like what happened on the Umqua Community College campus this morning. The fact that it’s only been a few hours and already all that anyone can talk about is gun control shows how little empathy we have. Our lack of concern for human life and lack of love for others is a bigger issue than any weapon is.
The authorities are investigating a 4chan thread where someone anonymously posted about shooting up a school today, and on this thread were tons of comments from people encouraging the poster, giving tips and saying that more violence like this is what the world needs. It was one of the most awful things that I have ever read. These commenters care more about power, revenge and violence than they do about people. But then again, don’t we all?
Violence, gore and destruction are not only promoted but also hungrily consumed by our society. We flock to the theaters to watch movies full of death and horror, we play video games that allow us to act out violence in a fantasy realm and we naturally can’t look away from the car accidents we pass on the road.
But just like guns aren’t the issue, neither are violent movies or games.
What it really comes down to is the fact that we are all sinners.
Now when people say “We’re all sinners” they usually mean, we all make mistakes, we slip up, tell a few lies, let rude comments slip out and other things of that nature but it goes so much deeper than that. Deep down, any of us is fully capable of committing the kind of atrocities like what took place at UCC today. We are all totally lost and dead in our sin. We look down on the people who shoot up schools or who crash planes into buildings but the truth is we need Jesus JUST as much as they do.
That is the answer to all of this.
Jesus.
No amount of gun control, mental health funding or any other legislation can even come close to the transformative power of the gospel. When people truly understand how much God loves them, and not just them, but every single person in the world, hate can no longer fill their hearts. When people realize that the perfect Son of God, who had every right to punish us for our rebellion against him, instead died a painful death to set us free, they must be so humbled that revenge is no longer relevant. We do not have to be slaves the violence, anger and evil that is inside us. Jesus already paid that price.
If we spent as much time praying for our country and government as we do complaining about them on Facebook, things would be much different. If we cared as much about those who are hurting, or outcast as we care about what people think of us, things would be much different. If we spent as much time sharing and showing the gospel to the people around us as we do condemning them, things would be much different.
If we made Jesus a priority, things would be much different.
I am just as guilty as anyone in this. I don’t share the gospel with everyone I meet. I care more about making people see my point than I care about making them see Christ. I spend way too much time sharing posts and hashtagging my support and not enough time crying out to God on my knees in prayer for the issues of the world. This post is more for me than anyone else.
Let’s preach the love of God before we preach politics.
Let’s actually pray before posting #Prayfor(insert tragedy here) on social media.
And please don’t let the people who lost their life at UCC today, or those who have lost their lives in any of the hundreds of tragedies that happen every single day become nothing more than statistics that we use to prove our points. Psalm 34:18
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; Behold, the new has come.
Wise words Rach. I appreciate your rants:)
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