Disclaimer: Please excuse the following ramble. I have a lot of thoughts and I need to get them out. But they have not been properly chewed on and digested and therefore will not come out eloquently. Bear with me.
Unexplainable things happen. Sometimes they are good. Often, like today, they are terrible. Unjustifiable. Incomprehensible. Unexplainable.
But, it is human nature to try to explain, to attempt to justify. So, in the next several weeks we (the media) will speculate. We'll discuss which video games the shooter liked. We'll talk about his childhood. We'll scrutinize every movie he ever watched. We'll hear and participate in heated debates over gun laws and availability. We will try to understand. We will try to justify.
Perhaps there is no justification. Perhaps it is impossible to understand. We might be better off to quit justifying. Quit trying to understand. Stop arguing about laws. Stop placing blame. Just stop. And pray. Pray a lot.
There is evil in our world. It is alive and active. It always has been and always will be. Sometimes we manage to close our eyes, plug our ears, and pretend it doesn't exist, but it always does. It isn't new - remember Noah? He built an arc to escape (with animals and his family) from a flood sent by God. A flood that destroyed the world and all on it. Why? Because "He saw the wickedness of the human race and that every inclination of the human heart was only evil continually" (paraphrase of Genesis 6:5). Evil has been here on earth - and, unfortunately, it isn't going anywhere. Evil isn't something one can explain away or justify or understand. It is just terrible, sad, evil. We cannot explain it away.
So what does that mean for us?
It means we need to stop forgetting that Satan is here and working hard. We need to be awake to that fact all the time, not just when a horrendous tragedy strikes. It also means we need to embrace the good in the world -- and, we need to BE the good in the world. Draw near to God. Live to please Him.
The thing about the evil in our world? We can't hide from it. We can't shelter our children from it. We can be "preventative", and I of course believe we should, but even preventions fail more often than we like. As long as there is evil in the world (which there always will be), there will always be people who are affected by it.
So, why are we all not becoming hermits? Why am I not quitting my job, holing up with my husband, and begging my mom to pull my little brother out of school? (because, lets be honest - there is definitely a moment or 10 when that is the gut reaction after such news). Well, have you heard the song "Safe in the Arms of Jesus"? I love that song.
The lyrics have been in my head all afternoon. "Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast; There by His love o'ershadaded, sweetly my soul shall rest". There is one place evil cannot touch me - even when it hurts me physically. My soul is safe with Him. He can look out better for my family and friends way better than I can. He can take all of those innocent children to Heaven. He can provide comfort for their families. I can't. He can.
We cannot hide forever. We cannot hole up. We cannot build walls between us and the world. For one thing, evil will find us regardless. For another, if we are so busy hiding, how do we expect to spread His word? Be an example? In Bible class we used to sing the song "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, all the time, let it shine". One verse says "Hide it under a bush? Oh no! I'm gonna let it shine" another says "I won't let Satan 'whoo' it out, I'm gonna let it shine..." Are we willing to let our light shine? Are we faithful enough, confident enough, not in our own ability to prevent, protect, and hide from danger but rather in His ability to take care of us, to face the world (and all the evil it holds)?
What a test of faith. To get up tomorrow. To go back to work, to school. (Personally for me, to think "What if that happened in MY school? Would I be able to handle myself? Do I what I needed to do? Go back to work ever?") To face the world each day. To allow our loved ones, our children, to face the world each day. Trusting Him is really our only option.
We cannot hide. We cannot necessarily protect those we'd like to protect. But we can know that our souls are safe. We can be prepared to face anything and everything with His help. We can help prepare our loved ones and our children - we can teach them what they need to know to be safe in His arms.
So hug your kids. Tight. Hug your spouse. Hug your (our your kids) teacher (they probably need it today). And then pray. A LOT. Be confused. Be sad. Be angry. And then pray. A lot more. Be frustrated. Talk about it. Think about it. And then pray more. And then get up. Dust yourself off. Go to work, to school. Let your families face the world with you. Love each other. Pray together. Pray for the effected families. Pray for
your family. Pray for peace. Pray for calmness. And give up your feeling of control. Give up on the fact that you can protect ... and then lean on God a whole lot harder. Because you, I,
PEOPLE can't. But GOD can. And He will.
And for goodness sakes, read the Bible. Get to know God. Live to please Him. He is the only true security we can have in the world.
*My thoughts and prayers go out to each child whose innocence has suffered (Those killed in Connecticut by gun and those killed in China by sword alike). Each family who cannot yet see how to survive. To a community that is hurting. To a school that is devastated and cannot yest see how to rebuild. To people who are facing what no one should have to face. To everyone who is scared. To everyone that is hurting. I am heartbroken. I am praying.
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