What If It's Not Somebody's Fault

Along with the rest of you, I watched the news in horror this week - and not just once. A gunning down in a grocery store. Children and a few adults terrorized watching everyone in the room being shot and killed. It's unspeakable and unimaginable. We grieve to the gut over this for all the same reasons. Who can help us?

As I somewhat reluctantly throw my hat into the opinion ring today (which I admittedly mostly loathe), I wonder if we could take a minute to turn aside from all the voices - so many voices vying for our allegiance to a cause. Could we resist knee-jerk emotionally driven generalizations, solutions, and blame throwing?

Because here's the thing - some things are sure, but others are not. 

It seems we feel the need to hold someone or something accountable for a tragedy like this because maybe it gives us a sense of control or just some solid ground to try and make sense of it? We can't imagine anyone slaughtering a group of innocent vulnerable souls. But it happened. It's not the first time and likely won't be the last.

Who or what is responsible?

mental illness

guns

family upbringing/home

social media influence

government failure

security weakness

political responsibility

There's no sense to this. It is outrage-ous. It's not wrong to feel that. It moves us to take action (control?) to prevent it from happening again, to honor the lives lost and loved ones who remain inconsolable.

My opinion: I don't think blaming each other is the solution. Whether it's race or political party or religious affiliation or geographic location or moral choices. Blaming is divisive and possibly hateful. Why doesn't this work; only causing more angst and anxiety and anger?

Because we are fighting the wrong war. This isn't a war between men and women and ideals. This is a battle against evil which has been present since shortly after creation.

Evil. What other word could cover such unfeeling, cold, monstrosities of behavior? 

Turning on each other and our opinions will hardly generate peace, love or harmony which is what we crave.

May I suggest we come together - as humankind - created in God's image - and war against a real enemy, who is named Satan? Evil destructiveness started with him. He finds a weak prey, an opportunity, and exploits it to bring death. He is the one warring with everything good - which originates from God, who is exactly the opposite.

What we really need is a consideration of how we can together look beneath the surface or take a wide-angle view to see what's really going on here.

Down through all of time and the history of mankind evil has been present. Every generation has their shameful stories. We are aghast and try to forget the Holocaust, war crimes, genocide, American slavery, sexual abuses and coverups, and more. 

Even before that, evil slaughtered babies, raped and killed women, left the suffering on the side of the road. (Read more about this in the Bible. It's all there in gory detail.) Human beings - every man and woman - you and me - are capable of all manner of sin. We are born with it. We do it all the time and apart from God, we can't not do it. 

Hear this, evil and sin are not going anywhere. We don't have the power to stop what is happening in a spiritual world where dark forces are throwing around everything they have to try and thwart all of God's goodness toward men, women and children - His favorite.

But there is something we can do. We could consider looking up, shifting our gaze from other created beings and look to God for help and comfort. "Lord, have mercy on us!"

We could also stop blaming each other - specifically those with different ideas than us. 

Evil is lurking around all of us, tempting each to pursue and demand our own way, take what we want for our personal fulfillment and agenda no matter what the cost to others. What if we refused malice, accusation, division, meanness, despair and blaming?  

Perhaps not post our jabs on social media, those snarky comments that fill readers with rage, angst or questionable solidarity (building a team)? Instead, we can come together, humble ourselves (is there any chance we could be wrong?), and recognize that none of us are immune. 

We could take a look in the mirror and maybe make some changes in how we are living, raising our children, making daily decisions, influencing others?

What if we sought out a Jesus follower full of faith, and asked questions, seeking understanding with an open mind? Even if we don't have all the answers (it's impossible to, we are not infinite), we could receive comfort and encouragement from the Only One who can give it first for ourselves and then to pass on to others.

What if we picked up His Word, the Bible, written generations ago, preserved (miracle) and authenticated for those who are open to believing what is recorded inside? It requires faith, of course, even as tiny as a mustard seed, to understand it. Open the pages and perhaps utter a prayer like, "God, if you're real, give me eyes to see and ears to hear. Show me what the truth about life is."

Warring with fellow men/women doesn't solve these types of issues. I even wonder if it makes it easier for the enemy to do more damage. No person or group of persons can "fix" this. 

No, what we face is bigger. The problem of evil is what we need to fight. Can we win you might ask? We can if we are on the winning team. There is one Warrior who will end this war on evil one day. His name is Jesus. And He loves everyone He has created. Everyone. Not all love Him, of course, but all are invited to know Him. You could consider this your invitation if this is new news to you.

You see, these victories come through faith in God, prayer, knowing God's heart and mind about things - learned through reading the Bible and becoming members in churches who teach it. 

It comes with reaching out a hand to someone hurting and trusting that one day, as God promised, Jesus will make all things new. He will conquer death. He will wipe away every tear. He will replace this world and the evil running rampant in it, and eventually usher us into His Kingdom. 

There will come a day when the type of evil we have observed and experienced will no longer happen. This is good news! We can look forward to that day with trust. 

In the meantime, what's the point of small mankind, ripping each other apart with pointed fingers, demanding solution (our solution) without even consulting the Only One who can do something about this? It won't touch the tip of the iceberg of the evil among us. In fact, what if it's adding more destructive damage to our society?

Let's do this - bring our lament and grief to a holy, loving God, ask Him for help, to show us how to fight spiritual evil. Lord, have mercy on us! 

He always knew these unexplainable tragedies would happen but, in His righteousness and fairness gave men (and women) a choice way back in the garden of Eden. Live according to His plan for mankind rife with beauty, delight and promise or do it their own way. 

We have that same choice. 

I think it's a good start.

The Lord is righteous in all His way and kind in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call on Him to all who call on Him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him; He also hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.

Psalm 145:17-20