For those daring enough to read the day’s news…for those whose skin has calloused to the point of deflecting the emotion that comes from the reading…I ask you but one question…what seems to be the common thread running through most atrocities against mankind worldwide? My answer to that question….the obvious answer to those willing to take their heads from beneath the sand….
GUNS!!!
The happenings during the course of the last few days in our country as we celebrated our independence….our freedom….our right to live our lives free from tyranny….should first cause us each to weep the saddest of tears for what are senseless acts of violence visited upon those not deserving. And then, when our dried tears have stained our cheeks and our eyes are reddened, we should ask ourselves, what can I do to help stem this tide….to turn the pendulum back in the other direction. Do we want our country to continue to deteriorate into a war state with battles being fought amongst our own, or do we want to set the bar high for the rest of the world and live in peace?
I am not so naive as to think that there would be no unthinkable acts of violence without guns, but I do believe they would diminish with some reasonable level of restriction as a baby step…to that there can be no argument. Guns do not take lives acting on their own….and people do not take lives without a gun….people with guns take lives….so perhaps we should limit the people with guns? Do you think our towns….our streets….our homes…would be safer if everyone was packing…or would they be more dangerous?
Today I am melancholy as I mourn for the families of all those whose loved ones lives have been taken from them without cause….families I will never know….yet they are my brothers and sisters….for He loves ALL the little children of the world….
Think for yourself….don’t allow others to think your thoughts….free your heart from hatred….fill your heart with love….ask your heart what your next steps should be….arm yourself for the ensuing war or make a different choice…your own choice….choose to live a life devoid of fear…a free life…
When we come from love, so too will the solutions to this problem come from love, not hatred.
Do you believe we should remove all guns from society or just certain guns?
Baby steps Samuel….you know the routine…small investments over time…let’s start with assault rifles and go from there…the problem is a complicated one…one whose solution should come from loving one another, not hating one another….the violence is born from hatred and mental illness…but those are HUGE ships to turn…let’s begin with a ship we can turn…
Well said. Baby steps … Why not? Remind me again: Assault weapons exist in sane society, …why?
I get the idea behind the assault rifles, but that is a band-aid IMO. Evil will use anything their perverted minds can conjure up – the ideas planted by Satan, who wants to kill, steal, and destroy.
We Christians, for the most part, do not really comprehend, or want to get out of our comfort zones to radically love people on a global scale.
Until the time that we spend more time, energy, and money and resources on going over the top to serve those The Lord moves us to serve, radically obeying everything He shows us, the world will not change. Jesus followers must be known for their compassion, forgiveness, service, and bold proclamation of The full Gospel- We are hopeless sinners saved ONLY by the grace, blood, mercy, and sacrifice of Jesus, If we do not boldly proclaim and live out this Gospel, rampant evil in all arenas, in myriad forms will continue.
We must spend time with Him, listening and being supernaturally changed, believing He desires and is able to give us our marching orders to fling God’s love and compassion far and wide, that any significant shift will be maintained against the enemy of our souls.
Pray for boldness and selflessness and holy fire and then go and do. God is faithful.
Interesting perspective Barb…thanks for your opinions…spot on….for Christians. However, the number of Christians in our land is on the wane…with no apparent end in sight.
Rather than a band aid, I see eliminating assault rifles as a simple, doable first step….how does one eat an elephant?
Although the solution may be founded within the tenets of Christianity, we must deliver solutions for all of the non Christians as well….something that will resonate within their hearts and minds…
The need for prayer and mindful consideration never ceases…but the time has come now for some identifiable action…in an effort to keep the conversation front and center…an every day reminder of a group of kindergarten students whose lives were inexplicably stolen from their families in an instant…here today, gone today…
Galatians 5:22-26 says,”The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s’ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
If Jesus-followers truly allowed ourselves to be controlled by the Spirit—WOW!! World-changing!
Also-love your enemies. Do GOOD to those who hate you.
Our way of life has always been counter-cultural…always able to impact the world around us by living out our dying to self, which shouts LOVE in an unmistakeable way, so that hearts are truly changed and made new by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Not cheap, but worth it.