The events of last week have left me stunned and in shock, as if I’m moving around in slow motion, with broken sleep and concentration. I didn’t even know any of the victims of the Uvalde, Texas school mass shooting that left 19 precious young children and two teachers dead. I live on the other side of the country, yet it hit me hard in the gut, and I still cry thinking about it. But it’s also about the plural (events) – that grieves me so. So many things in the news and very little of it good. I’m tired, we’re all tired.
This is not a political post, as there is room for improvement in all areas of our lives, country, and world. Instead, I want to talk about the unspeakable. And that is evil. I’m cautious of any leader, politician, or media person who does not first call these acts evil before blaming anything else. Because that’s what it is. A person does not amass a large amount of ammunition, guns and body armor, drive to an elementary school, barricade himself in a classroom and shoot 9-year-olds at close range – without being filled with evil. A man does not go into a grocery store and start shooting random people without being filled with evil.
Yet our leaders do not always acknowledge this word. Why? Because, if you call it evil, then you must acknowledge there is evil in the world. And if you acknowledge evil, then you also have to acknowledge there is a God who is against evil. If you acknowledge God, then you are accountable to God. And that’s the problem. People do not want to be accountable – to God or anyone else. Yet we are all accountable to God whether we choose to acknowledge Him or not. We have no excuse, especially in America where God is mentioned everywhere, Bibles are plentiful, and the teachings of Jesus are preached all over the radio, television, and social media. Most atheists, I believe, are not so convinced there is no God but rather do not want to acknowledge there could be a God.
May we come to realize that God is actually for us, fights for us, and wants to help us keep away from the evil that destroys. God wants to restore us – not shame us, and He is always willing to welcome us into His Kingdom of peace and goodness – if we only ask, and turn and seek His Righteousness.
