In The Wake

Once again, we sit in the wake of another mass shooting, this one at a high school in Florida. The senseless death and violence at the hands of a disturbed individual rocks us to the core. We see human nature on display in the reactions. We see the best in the teachers who died to save others. We see some of the worst in the blame throwing in the media, online, an in the halls of politics.

A few months ago after another shooting, I recorded an episode called The Growing Stigma about my concern that the mentally ill would become even more ostracized than they already are in our society. That concern is growing with each incident.

The battle lines have been drawn for a long time. People on front lines are increasing the assault with their rhetorical weapons. Some blame guns while others blame mental illness or the medications used to treat it. The government, people who interact with the shooters, and anywhere the blame can be cast fill the online world. People are demanding a solution and none of them will be happy unless it's their version that wins. The tribalism that has been rising in America is on full display.

Very few are hitting close to the mark. We live in a secular society that has cast off the safety lines of religion and morality. It's like trying to steer a ship without a navigation system. You don't have any idea where you're going and no idea how to get there even if you did. Worldviews have consequences.

As faith and religion have been systematically removed from culture it has been replaced with an almost nihilistic society with no purpose and no real meaning. In a world of Darwin, Planned Parenthood, and environmental extremism that puts the Earth and animals above humanity, life has lost all meaning and is cheap. We're nothing more than animals who won the evolutionary lottery and got big brains. Mankind isn't special or unique. Why should we give more thought to ending a human life than we do to killing a dangerous stray dog? In fact, many environmentalists are also abortion activists that do put the life of an animal or plant above human life. This is the main message in the media and education system. Is it any wonder why violence is on the rise?

Mental illness is not to blame. Guns are not to blame. The FBI and government aren't to blame. Large, sweeping legislation to change or alter any of those will not solve the problem. As long as we teach our younger generations that human life has little to no value, we will have shootings. We will have death.

Just over thirty years ago, I was a lonely, nerdy kid. I had few true friends and even fewer that knew about the anger that was seething within me. I lived angry. I was constantly bullied by the jocks, preps, and any other group that could get away with it. In today's world, I would have been an at risk youth to be one of these killers. However, we still lived in a culture that largely respected life. For all of the failings of the Eighties, that much was still true. The idea of shooting my tormenters never crossed my mind even when I had my hunting bow at school for archery class in PE. (It was a lot of fun to see them try to draw my bow and fail.)

Beyond the respect for life, I had people in my life that would have seen something if there was a problem and acted. I also found target shooting to be very therapeutic. I could send my rage into that target and feel the stress leaving. It was my best outlet. I shot a lot of arrows in the range my parents set up in the basement of our house. In my case, a weapon was a great relief valve that I used often.

Jesus warned us that in the last days, the love of many would grow cold. (Matthew 24) Is there any doubt that we are in such times? We scream and shout about bullying yet certain groups are socially acceptable targets. We talk about compassion for the masses but the individual slips through our fingers. Compassion and love are not for the masses but for each person. Real love is shown not on grand scales but in small acts of kindness, respect, and mercy.

The shrinking Christian minority needs to withdraw from these huge debates about massive programs and legislation save to say that these solutions will fail. Only by demonstrating the real love of Christ can we hope to change the direction. Human life will still have little to no value as long as we continue on this path. Those who are outside of Christ do not have an understanding of love, mercy, and justice. If we live such things in obedience to the Word of God, we can be the shining example we are called to be. If we engage in the blame games of the world, we lose and our society is lost.