Greetings.
So, I wanted to take a moment as a Christian, a friend, and a parent of a child in a local middle school to talk about how we might process this local school shooting and those like it.
First and foremost, I have personally prayed - and I ask any reader of this to do the same - for the victims, the families, and all those involved in the shooting today at Great Mills in St. Mary's County. I believe our God is mighty and hears the prayers of His people. He can bring comfort where there is only fear and anxiety.
Next, I want us to take a step back. I want us to seriously ask a question - seriously now - what kind of world do you believe that we inhabit? What I mean by this is do you believe we inhabit a good world or a wicked one? Because this is what I believe - I believe we live in a world that was created perfect, but then was changed by humanity's disobedience into something evil. I believe that we human beings are sinful now in our very nature. I believe that this world is so evil that God is going to completely destroy this place and build anew. I am not alone in this - Christians have believed and confessed this for millenia. Yet, while we confess it is true, sadly, we rarely apply this truth to our personal lives.
So if you have not before, apply this truth. Come to this reality beloved - we live, work, play, and do all of our socialization in a sinful world. Jesus Himself calls Satan the, "prince of this world." [John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11] We live in a world where death, disease, sickness, murder, greed, etc...are prevalent. When I write that we live in a, "sinful" world, too many Christians think this to be a vague, ethereal statement. It is not meant in such a fashion. We live in a world where murders occur, where rape occurs, where violence, death, disease, hate, and anger all are real and have real-world consequences. This was true yesterday as much as it is true today. Yet, for many in my area today that world has hit home - as there was a local student who turned a gun on their classmate(s).
Because of the reality hitting home today, I wanted to discuss this reality; and then discuss how we ought not react to this. We ought not react in fear. Death is a reality for each and every one of us. We will all die. We know not how, we know not when, but we did know that we will.
I understand that at first this is not comforting; but rightly understood beloved it is. We spend so much time trying to prevent and protect from that which is going to happen. If you and I are Christians, let me say this clearly - living in fear is not only wrong, it is a part of the problem of this world. You and me, above all people, need to be people of hope. If we are not people of hope, we become reclusive, ineffective, and unloving. You and I cannot react to this world in fear - no matter how bad this place gets. When we act in fear we stop reaching out and we reach only in. When we act in fear we almost universally pull away from our society instead of engaging in our society. And that my friends is precisely what the devil wants - Christians to disengage.
C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors; and he wrote something back in the mid 20th century about living in an atomic age that I find very refreshing. He writes:
"In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. "How are we to live in an atomic age?" I am tempted to reply: "Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents."
"In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways. We had, indeed, one very great advantage over our ancestors - anaesthetics; but we have that still. It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which already bristled with such chances and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a certainty.
"This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things - praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts - not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds."
This is amazingly refreshing. It faces reality head on and understands the world in which we live. If you are a Christian you believe in a Jesus that rose from the dead. Death is not the end of the story. We have eternal life right now and we will rise again as well. This is not to say that we take unhealthy risks; but it is to say that we live life - and live it to the fullest. If the threat of death and the threat of pain stifles you from doing what God would have you do - then repent. Yes, hug your children. Yes, as parents protect your children. But for goodness sake, do not be deluded into believing you can protect your children from death. That is a lie. They will die. We know not when. We know not how. But it will happen. So beloved - teach, pray, work, love, give compassion and aid, read, listen to music, go to the cinema, and live life. Do not cower in fear. We have a Jesus that rose from the grave - and tragic events like today make me want to live for Him more - not less.
Your friend,
Chris
So, I wanted to take a moment as a Christian, a friend, and a parent of a child in a local middle school to talk about how we might process this local school shooting and those like it.
First and foremost, I have personally prayed - and I ask any reader of this to do the same - for the victims, the families, and all those involved in the shooting today at Great Mills in St. Mary's County. I believe our God is mighty and hears the prayers of His people. He can bring comfort where there is only fear and anxiety.
Next, I want us to take a step back. I want us to seriously ask a question - seriously now - what kind of world do you believe that we inhabit? What I mean by this is do you believe we inhabit a good world or a wicked one? Because this is what I believe - I believe we live in a world that was created perfect, but then was changed by humanity's disobedience into something evil. I believe that we human beings are sinful now in our very nature. I believe that this world is so evil that God is going to completely destroy this place and build anew. I am not alone in this - Christians have believed and confessed this for millenia. Yet, while we confess it is true, sadly, we rarely apply this truth to our personal lives.
So if you have not before, apply this truth. Come to this reality beloved - we live, work, play, and do all of our socialization in a sinful world. Jesus Himself calls Satan the, "prince of this world." [John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11] We live in a world where death, disease, sickness, murder, greed, etc...are prevalent. When I write that we live in a, "sinful" world, too many Christians think this to be a vague, ethereal statement. It is not meant in such a fashion. We live in a world where murders occur, where rape occurs, where violence, death, disease, hate, and anger all are real and have real-world consequences. This was true yesterday as much as it is true today. Yet, for many in my area today that world has hit home - as there was a local student who turned a gun on their classmate(s).
Because of the reality hitting home today, I wanted to discuss this reality; and then discuss how we ought not react to this. We ought not react in fear. Death is a reality for each and every one of us. We will all die. We know not how, we know not when, but we did know that we will.
I understand that at first this is not comforting; but rightly understood beloved it is. We spend so much time trying to prevent and protect from that which is going to happen. If you and I are Christians, let me say this clearly - living in fear is not only wrong, it is a part of the problem of this world. You and me, above all people, need to be people of hope. If we are not people of hope, we become reclusive, ineffective, and unloving. You and I cannot react to this world in fear - no matter how bad this place gets. When we act in fear we stop reaching out and we reach only in. When we act in fear we almost universally pull away from our society instead of engaging in our society. And that my friends is precisely what the devil wants - Christians to disengage.
C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors; and he wrote something back in the mid 20th century about living in an atomic age that I find very refreshing. He writes:
"In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. "How are we to live in an atomic age?" I am tempted to reply: "Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents."
"In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways. We had, indeed, one very great advantage over our ancestors - anaesthetics; but we have that still. It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which already bristled with such chances and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a certainty.
"This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things - praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts - not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds."
This is amazingly refreshing. It faces reality head on and understands the world in which we live. If you are a Christian you believe in a Jesus that rose from the dead. Death is not the end of the story. We have eternal life right now and we will rise again as well. This is not to say that we take unhealthy risks; but it is to say that we live life - and live it to the fullest. If the threat of death and the threat of pain stifles you from doing what God would have you do - then repent. Yes, hug your children. Yes, as parents protect your children. But for goodness sake, do not be deluded into believing you can protect your children from death. That is a lie. They will die. We know not when. We know not how. But it will happen. So beloved - teach, pray, work, love, give compassion and aid, read, listen to music, go to the cinema, and live life. Do not cower in fear. We have a Jesus that rose from the grave - and tragic events like today make me want to live for Him more - not less.
Your friend,
Chris
