As you likely have heard, there was another mass shooting here in our nation again yesterday. I actually looked up some statistics earlier today, which pointed out that, in our nation this year, this marked day 209 in which there was a shooting killing and/or injuring at least two people. That means that, no matter what, this year is going to have more days in which death or injury happened by gun than days that didn't contain such an event.
The aftermath of such events, especially if you happen to watch the news, is fairly predictable. One side of the political spectrum will call for tighter gun control laws, and the other will argue that such laws don't truly hit at the problem and therefore, the rights of Americans shouldn't be infringed upon. That's the standard response now in our nation, in this day and age, at this time.
However, I have a different question. How should we as Christians respond? The truth is, when we witness such things, as Christians, we should realize that neither the left nor the right offer up any alternatives that will actually work. That's because both attempt to work within the realm of this world, in a nation that is filled with sinful people. And no matter what solution you may try, when sinful people are involved, sinful outcomes are always going to be what comes, no matter how well-thought out the solution may seem.
Sure, it sounds good to tighten up laws on how people come to own guns. However, this rarely serves the purpose of keeping guns out of the hands of those who are dangerous. Likewise, while it may sound all good and right that, the more people who have guns in their possession, the more that can stand up to those who would bring harm, the reality is that I haven't heard of a single instance where any of these shooters were brought down by a law-abiding, gun carrying citizen.
The problem from both the left and the right is that they are seeking solutions within the world's realm that simply cannot deal effectively with the problem. The problem is that we humans are sinful. When we are isolated, cut off, or hurt, we often respond by lashing out. No amount of laws will ever prevent this. And no gun carrying citizen is probably equipped or prepared for that moment when one of those who feel cut off lash out at their fellow humans.
While we can never remedy the sin problem involved in all of these, that doesn't mean we are helpless. What can we do to work to prevent such events from happening again? What about reaching out in love to those who feel that they are isolated and cut off from their fellow human beings? Yes, that is a very difficult thing to do, perhaps mostly because it opens us up to the sin that lies within us as well as them. It's difficult because it means investing our lives in a person that may not really want that closeness, but that desperately needs that closeness.
More laws, or the absence of such laws, will never be the answer. Genuine, caring love for one's neighbor, especially that neighbor that feels cut off and isolated, may not fully remove the danger, but will likely bear far greater results than any number of laws that could ever be passed. Also, sharing the news of a God who cares for them enough to rescue them from their situations and struggles, and who provides a loving body that we call the Church to care for them, well, let's just say that this kind of reaching out may truly prove to be the saving of many lives, in more ways than one.
The aftermath of such events, especially if you happen to watch the news, is fairly predictable. One side of the political spectrum will call for tighter gun control laws, and the other will argue that such laws don't truly hit at the problem and therefore, the rights of Americans shouldn't be infringed upon. That's the standard response now in our nation, in this day and age, at this time.
However, I have a different question. How should we as Christians respond? The truth is, when we witness such things, as Christians, we should realize that neither the left nor the right offer up any alternatives that will actually work. That's because both attempt to work within the realm of this world, in a nation that is filled with sinful people. And no matter what solution you may try, when sinful people are involved, sinful outcomes are always going to be what comes, no matter how well-thought out the solution may seem.
Sure, it sounds good to tighten up laws on how people come to own guns. However, this rarely serves the purpose of keeping guns out of the hands of those who are dangerous. Likewise, while it may sound all good and right that, the more people who have guns in their possession, the more that can stand up to those who would bring harm, the reality is that I haven't heard of a single instance where any of these shooters were brought down by a law-abiding, gun carrying citizen.
The problem from both the left and the right is that they are seeking solutions within the world's realm that simply cannot deal effectively with the problem. The problem is that we humans are sinful. When we are isolated, cut off, or hurt, we often respond by lashing out. No amount of laws will ever prevent this. And no gun carrying citizen is probably equipped or prepared for that moment when one of those who feel cut off lash out at their fellow humans.
While we can never remedy the sin problem involved in all of these, that doesn't mean we are helpless. What can we do to work to prevent such events from happening again? What about reaching out in love to those who feel that they are isolated and cut off from their fellow human beings? Yes, that is a very difficult thing to do, perhaps mostly because it opens us up to the sin that lies within us as well as them. It's difficult because it means investing our lives in a person that may not really want that closeness, but that desperately needs that closeness.
More laws, or the absence of such laws, will never be the answer. Genuine, caring love for one's neighbor, especially that neighbor that feels cut off and isolated, may not fully remove the danger, but will likely bear far greater results than any number of laws that could ever be passed. Also, sharing the news of a God who cares for them enough to rescue them from their situations and struggles, and who provides a loving body that we call the Church to care for them, well, let's just say that this kind of reaching out may truly prove to be the saving of many lives, in more ways than one.
No comments:
Post a Comment