Friday afternoon, I called my mom regarding a simple question. She said, "I guess you've had the TV on, right?" I hadn't. She proceeded to tell me about the school shooting that took place in Newtown, Connecticut. I literally felt sick to my stomach. This is a more recent experience for me. As God breaks my heart for the things that break His, I have come to feel almost nauseous when faced with great evil.
Unfortunately, the nausea continued as I began scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed.
After last Friday's events in Connecticut, social media naturally lit up with comment after comment. Some expressed grief, many expressed thoughts and prayers for the victims and community but too many waded into the fray of comments that just should not have been made. I was at first angered...now, I'm mostly sad.
By Friday evening, I considered complete abstinence from Facebook for a week or so...but I have hesitantly continued to read through posts regarding the shooting deaths. Whether you want guns or want them destroyed...want prayer in schools or think no mention of God should ever cross the threshold of a public education facility...want to blame evil on the violence on TV and video games, lack of appropriate parenting, lack of mental health treatment, lack of support for the parents that have children with mental health issues...etc, etc, etc. Can I just be maybe the one person who says, "This is not what needs to be shared during this time!"?
Can we stop grinding our axes and just remember that "every inclination in the human heart is evil" (Genesis 8:21)? Stop blaming one faction or another. Stop tearing apart the side that doesn't agree with you. Stop walking right into the camp of the enemy and allowing him to build walls that are increasingly higher and higher between those that call themselves Christians and those that don't.
What should we say? What should we share?
Love...pure and simple.
Love will cause you to cry with the victims and grieve for the offender too. Love will make you wish to 'gather them up like a hen with her chicks' under her wings.' (Luke 13:34) Love will help you be quick to listen to those you don't agree with, slow to speak the wrong word and possibly even slower to express anger and things at people you don't understand. (James 1:19). Love will give you a "garment of praise instead of despair." (Isaiah 61:3) And because of your hope-filled Love, you will be asked to "give a reason" (I Peter 3:15) which will bless you with an opportunity to once again...you guessed it...share Love!
There were a whole lot of things I've been wanting to say or reply and I even shared a couple of the more frustrating comments I saw with my husband. But I knew the best thing I could do was to hold off and wait for God's response...not mine! And this morning...I heard it...this song. I've actually heard it in my head a lot this weekend, but was thankful that God's Spirit gave it to me one more time this morning...just to make the point to me again.
What do we (I) need to say when evil seems to prevail and so many are seeking answers? Really the only thing I can say is the one and only thing that will matter in the end. What will be there in the end? Will it be guns or no guns, home school or public education, happy TV shows or violent ones, good or bad or no mental healthcare? No...the only thing that will be there in the end is "Oceans and oceans of Love and Love again."
I've shared this before, but although the video itself is not that great, the songs and words are truth. Listen to it and bask in His Love...that's right where He wants us anyway!
Unfortunately, the nausea continued as I began scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed.
After last Friday's events in Connecticut, social media naturally lit up with comment after comment. Some expressed grief, many expressed thoughts and prayers for the victims and community but too many waded into the fray of comments that just should not have been made. I was at first angered...now, I'm mostly sad.
By Friday evening, I considered complete abstinence from Facebook for a week or so...but I have hesitantly continued to read through posts regarding the shooting deaths. Whether you want guns or want them destroyed...want prayer in schools or think no mention of God should ever cross the threshold of a public education facility...want to blame evil on the violence on TV and video games, lack of appropriate parenting, lack of mental health treatment, lack of support for the parents that have children with mental health issues...etc, etc, etc. Can I just be maybe the one person who says, "This is not what needs to be shared during this time!"?
Can we stop grinding our axes and just remember that "every inclination in the human heart is evil" (Genesis 8:21)? Stop blaming one faction or another. Stop tearing apart the side that doesn't agree with you. Stop walking right into the camp of the enemy and allowing him to build walls that are increasingly higher and higher between those that call themselves Christians and those that don't.
What should we say? What should we share?
Love...pure and simple.
Love will cause you to cry with the victims and grieve for the offender too. Love will make you wish to 'gather them up like a hen with her chicks' under her wings.' (Luke 13:34) Love will help you be quick to listen to those you don't agree with, slow to speak the wrong word and possibly even slower to express anger and things at people you don't understand. (James 1:19). Love will give you a "garment of praise instead of despair." (Isaiah 61:3) And because of your hope-filled Love, you will be asked to "give a reason" (I Peter 3:15) which will bless you with an opportunity to once again...you guessed it...share Love!
There were a whole lot of things I've been wanting to say or reply and I even shared a couple of the more frustrating comments I saw with my husband. But I knew the best thing I could do was to hold off and wait for God's response...not mine! And this morning...I heard it...this song. I've actually heard it in my head a lot this weekend, but was thankful that God's Spirit gave it to me one more time this morning...just to make the point to me again.
What do we (I) need to say when evil seems to prevail and so many are seeking answers? Really the only thing I can say is the one and only thing that will matter in the end. What will be there in the end? Will it be guns or no guns, home school or public education, happy TV shows or violent ones, good or bad or no mental healthcare? No...the only thing that will be there in the end is "Oceans and oceans of Love and Love again."
I've shared this before, but although the video itself is not that great, the songs and words are truth. Listen to it and bask in His Love...that's right where He wants us anyway!
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