Our Violent America

Since the days of Cain and Abel, mankind has been engaging in ways to harm one another.   The weapons change and become more advanced, but the intent of a murderous human heart remains the same.  Whether the motive is jealousy, envy, or hatred - one thing is clear; there will always be some who choose to become instruments of evil.  

Spiritually, the question often becomes one of causation I think.  In other words, we want to know what initiates or drives this evil and causes it to lash out?  And that is what I want to discuss today.  America has lost its way.  According to K-12 data in the United States, there have been about 1,400 school shootings from 2016 to 2025.  Keep in mind that this doesn't even include mass shootings at public events.  What happened to Charlie Kirk recently is a symptom of a spiritual war that has been getting worse over the last twenty years.  My heart goes out to his wife and young children.  

I am old enough to remember when the Columbine shooting was considered to be out of the norm.  On April 20th, 1999 Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into their own high school wearing trench coats hiding automatic weapons.  We know what happened next, as they began murdering students and teachers.  The general public was both appalled and horrified.  But we thought that surely this was an isolated incident.  Flash forward to almost thirty years later, and people barely blink an eye when another such incident shows up on the nightly news.

And let's be honest, our national morality has changed in many ways.  Emotions are now given free reign in the public marketplace of ideas, without much concern given to facts or history.  Personal opinion is now king.  We can virtue signal on social media without much consequence of getting in trouble, and our hearts appear to be pre-programmed to adopt an attitude of self-righteousness regarding ideas we don't agree with.  The phrase "I don't agree" has been replaced with the mantra "how dare you?"

In many respects, we have stopped listening to each other altogether.  But what possesses someone to go that next step and perpetrate such horrific actions on another human being?  I have a feeling that the answer is much more complex than just labeling them as "crazy."

I recently watched a series on Netflix entitled 'The Iceman Chronicles.'  This documentary delved into the mind of famous serial killer Richard Kuklinski.  He was regularly employed by the mafia in the 1980's as a hitman, sent out to assassinate people.  In these interviews from prison, the psychiatrist referred to him as an anti-social personality type, with sociopathic tendencies.  He said that this stemmed from not only Kuklinski's lack of empathy for others, but also a brutally abusive father while he was growing up.  He regularly witnessed acts of violence as a child, and absorbed that into his world view as an adult.  

Kuklinski said that once someone offended him by questioning his authority in any way, he would make it a point to exact revenge.  The horrifying thing about this was that the soon-to-be victim would often have no idea that his demise was forthcoming.  All it took was one careless comment or offense, and the Iceman would earn his name one more time.  

I think this isn't far from where we stand today as a nation.  Since we no longer always allow ourselves to disagree in a civilized way, things can quickly escalate  to revenge or retaliation (at least symbolically).  No doubt that Charlie Kirk's assassin thought that he was doing what needed to be done - no matter how misguided that notion is to most rational people.  And it was misguided, in a way that defies explanation.

I promised to offer a spiritual answer to the problem of violence.  I think it has a lot to do with isolation and a narrow-minded set of divisive morals.  People today can often find themselves isolated from others.  The fellowship and regular meeting together with others in a church setting has fallen by the wayside for many.  People are more apt to dive down the rabbit hole of dark Internet websites, which help to indoctrinate sketchy values and unhealthy habits.  

The second step toward violence might happen when someone doesn't know God, or more to the point - doesn't know who God originally made them to be.  In essence, they don't have an identity in Christ - so they assume the identity of the false teaching they are engaging with.  If we don't know that we are made in the image of a Holy God, then it isn't long until the Devil slips in and begins whispering to us the wrong kind of truth.  

Couple these things together with the uptick in mental health issues and untreated depression/anxiety in our culture today, and it's easy to see how people turn to  hatred as a vehicle for self expression.  They have no other coping skills, no one else to offer them a different path.  No understanding of Scripture to help edify them in times of darkness.  The tools of destruction are easy enough to come by; anyone can get a gun if they really want one.  There are entire subcultures in America that hinge on modifying weapons and preparing for some theoretical civil war that may or may not happen.  The us against them mindset is alive and well.  

We are in a type of war though.  And it is the difference between good and evil, healthy discourse or indoctrination.  Matthew 24:12 issues a warning to believers about the end times.  It says, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold."   This statement could not be more true with every passing year.  

So what is to be done?  One speaker put it very eloquently at a seminar on gun violence that I attended last year at a local college.  He said, "Hope is not a strategy.  We must actually do something."  What this 'something' becomes is up to us as a society I think.  Do we continue to mock each other online, argue about politics, or even worse - stop discussing ideas completely?  Or do we show the love of Christ, even when we disagree with each other vehemently?  But our capacity for grace seems to be diminishing rapidly.  We are running out of time to steer the ship in a better direction.  

Since the truth is that we are made in the image of God, personally I will try to continue to love others with the courageous, sacrificial love of Jesus.  As certain as Cain murdered Abel in the book of Genesis, we will have suffering in this world.  At least until Jesus returns for the Second Advent.  But we can choose to offer each other the olive branch of grace and mercy in the meantime (even when people don't deserve it).  Honestly, do we always deserve it ourselves?  How you do this in your own life is up to you.  I would suggest less of an 'eye for an eye' approach, and more of a grace perspective.  

Protect your schools and your families, tell the authorities if you overhear someone making threats, and don't give up on the faith.  Continue to love with courage and fortitude, because you never know who may be watching from afar.  Do you argue with people and engage in hate speech?  Or do you encourage people authentically, and with a radical Christian love?  What kind of model are you putting on display for young minds to absorb?  A community is only as strong as the people who participate in it, and how we participate will shape it's ultimate outcome.  In the meantime, don't let evil win the day.  

.

Marked by God

Last weekend I was blessed to attend a church baptism event.  A group of forty people went out to a nearby lake, and seven of them were baptized.  What makes this kind of event so powerful, is that these people made their own decision about Christ and His call to salvation.  When we are baptized as infants, we cannot make that decision for ourselves.  It's more of a ceremonial dedication which falls on the congregation as a whole, to help raise the child in the ways of God.  But when you are older, you can make the decision for yourself.  That is why I have always been in favor of a 'second baptism,' where a person can choose for themselves.  

As I helped lower people backwards into the water that day, I thought a lot about the significance of the ceremony itself.  We know that the simple act of getting wet doesn't save us; only Jesus can  redeem and forgive.  But our Lord did command believers to get baptized also, once they make a commitment to God.  The understanding is that we go down into the water in the same way our old, sinful bodies go down into the grave.  We are in effect, dying to self.  Once risen up out of the water,  it then symbolizes redemption and Christ's renewal.  We are  reflecting the truth that Jesus makes all things new.  That is why we refer to it as the believer's baptism.  They believe in Jesus, and then demonstrate this belief in a public way in front of friends and family.

One of the church elders present that day reminded me of something a local pastor once said.  While other clubs and organizations typically mark their members physically (with tattoos or some other type of indicator), God uses water.  Now this is curious, because water dries out and leaves us without a permanent mark.  Nothing other than our belief to identify the Christian from the non-believer.  And I think that was the pastor's point.  God doesn't let us off the hook with a physical marker; that would be too easy.  Instead, we are required to show our allegiance to Jesus by our behavior and actions.  Our faith must be transparent and obvious to all.  This is our branding.  

Now this is no small task.  I think it would be easier to simply wear the right kind of clothes or obtain some type of tattoo, in order to show our allegiance to Christ.  Maybe a well placed fish bumper-sticker might suffice.  But no such luck for the devoted Christian.  Our water baptism may symbolically wash away our sins, but it is also up to us to stay in alignment with Jesus, in terms of how we speak and what we do the rest of our lives.

Romans 10:9 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.  It's very simple, yet also profound.  The Apostle Paul says, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  This Scripture reminds us that we cannot save ourselves, but that we must also take action.  It is on us to believe, repent, and accept God's free gift of grace and salvation.  He offers it, and we should take it.  

After being baptized, our hair and clothing will eventually become dry again - but our hearts better not fade back to old habits.  We must be the lamp on a lampstand that Jesus talks about in his parable from Luke 11.  We dare not hide our faith or store it away somewhere out of sight.  People should know that you are saved, and that you belong to God.  And in this way, others will find their own way to the baptismal fount someday.  Christians set forth the example of Christ; we are to reflect His light and grace in a way that honors and glorifies the Lord.  This is the light from the lamp that Jesus talked about.   

After the baptism event was finished and everyone went home, I turned on the television.  Our town has a channel that shows a live camera feed of the lake and  beach area.  The water looked serene and calm again - no one out frolicking or making noise anymore.  Everything went back to normal.  The water may hold it's secrets, but we should not.  Tell other people that you know God, and that He made a difference in your life.  Show them the way home to their heavenly kingdom.  One day, you may just find yourself at a lake somewhere, but this time watching someone else get immersed.  What a joy that will be for everyone involved, and what a joy it will be for God as well!

.  

God is Patient, not Passive

I heard the following piece of advice while watching one of my daughter's tennis lessons years ago.  The coach told her that being patient on the court is not the same thing as being passive about her gameplay.  In other words, trying to "kill" the ball when returning a hit so that you can grab a point as quickly as possible, isn't always the best strategy.  There are other ways to go about winning the match.  He recommended that she continue to employ patience, and wait for the right shot at the right time.  This will win the day in the long run. 

This isn't always the easy thing to do mind you.  A player can feel any number of emotions once the match or tournament begins.  In fact, this piece of advice works for just about any sport I can think of.  In baseball for example, we wait for the perfect pitch to cross the plate in the strike zone.  In football, the quarterback waits for an open receiver.  You get the idea.  We take a moment to focus our mind and body, wait for the right opportunity, and only then do we make a move.

Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 says, "The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.  Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools."   

We see the opposite strategy being employed all around us - there are many who end up in the lap of fools.  The squeaky wheel gets a cleaning, right?  The idea here is that you must speak up and complain in order to be heard.  Talk loud, move fast, and then get what you want.  But what if we actually stepped back long enough to apply some oil and fix the squeak itself?  

I will never forget a particular transition of power that took place years ago at one of my churches in a different city.  We had a brand new pastor, and the entire congregation was excited.  It isn't difficult to embrace something new and interesting generally speaking, and the same thing happens in churches.  New management always carries with it the potential for hope.  

As luck would have it though, this particular person began making sweeping changes almost immediately.  He was trying to swing away with the proverbial tennis racket and kill the ball the moment the match began.  He advocated switching meeting venues, cancelling certain ministries, and even changing the church name.  Decisive change isn't always a bad thing, but there was one particular ministry he shut down that will always haunt me.  It was a healing ministry designed for women, and it had been running for almost ten years.  In addition, the person leading the ministry was just recently widowed.  That ministry had become a way for her to cling to something familiar in a time of great struggle.  It allowed her to connect with the familiar. 

How different that would have gone I think, had the new pastor stepped back a bit and surveyed the entire playing field before making a move.  How different things would have been had he waited for the right time, and the right shot.  Easy for me to judge in hindsight I know – pastoral ministry is a hard job.  But I will forever hold this event as an example of zeal not according to wisdom.  If I remember correctly, the leader and everyone else in that group left the church shortly thereafter.  

I think that the lesson we can take from Ecclesiastes 7 is that we can wait on God’s timing.  Wait for what He might be trying to tell or teach us, both through the Scriptures and in the Spirit.  It isn't passivity to step back a bit, and prayerfully wait.  

1 Chronicles 16:11 further says, "Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always."  When we are looking for God's hand, it means we want something specifically from Him.  We are asking Him to do something for us.  But when we seek His face, it is a completely different experience.  This means we just want to be known by Him, and for Him to know us.  To have a connection such that we might understand what He wants from us.  It is this second meaning that applies here I think.  1 Chronicles 16 in this regard, is talking about giving God an audience first - before we seek counsel from other people.  This isn't being passive either; it is simply being wise.  

I think that we can end up with the following process: listen for God first, discern what He is telling you by reading Scripture and seeking Godly counsel, then finally to  obey His commands.  Rushing in full of pride or anger rarely succeeds in the long run.  This behavior does make an impact on those around you, but usually not a good one.  Instead be patient with God, and He will do the same with you.  Prudence is not the same thing as indecision. 

 

 

.