Last week a gunman opens fire in a mall in Omaha, Nebraska. This weekend a gunman opens fire at Youth With a Mission and later New Life Church in Colorado. This week began with news of students being shot as they exited their school bus. Those are just the incidents I am aware of. These types of heinous killings used to be rare, but now seem commonplace, almost a daily occurrence. What is going on?
That question has occupied my thoughts over the past several days. I know that our day of brutal entertainment though movies and violent sports has the tendency to dull our senses and cause us to feel next to nothing when we hear of these tragedies occurring in real life. I hope that we as believers resist and fight against that cultural influence. I pray that we all felt a gut-wrenching, unnerving reaction by the sheer bombardment of these tragedies. What is going on?
I believe we are coming into the age of a godless generation, and we should expect nothing less than these senseless, hate-filled crimes. A generation is coming of age now that is two generations removed from any type of godly influence. As a result, life is meaningless, and everyone feels that everyone else owes them everything. When others fail to follow through, this generation responds with hatred and violence. Removing a godly influence results in a selfish society, a selfish society results in a disrespect of others, a devaluing of life, and an explosion of anger. What was once rare happenings will become more and more commonplace. A trip to the mall, a day at school, and a Sunday at church are not the same when a generation grows up without God.
Another startling truth is how a society wandering from God in darkness quickly turns to persecution of the Church. It is interesting that Matthew Murray, the Colorado gunman, had a direct connection with Christianity both at home and at the missionary training center he attacked. When it was all said and done, five were dead, including him. He reportedly said that he hated Christians. We will probably never know what circumstances compelled him to reach the point where he hated Christians so much that he was willing to die in order to kill as many as he could. The sad reality is that he did reach that point.
However, as society unravels around us, true believers in Christ have a glorious opportunity before us for the demonstration and proclamation of the gospel. The answer for the outbreak of gun violence is not gun control but rather cross-bearing. It is when loving believers take up their crosses that hate-filled gunmen will begin laying down their arms. Nothing will prevail over hate-filled hearts like love-filled believers displaying the life-giving gospel of the lovely Savior! Remember that before the grace of God invaded your heart, you were at enmity with God. It is the glorious gospel, it is the cross that transforms God-haters into God-lovers! It is the power of the gospel that changes an angry man wielding a gun to a humble man clinging to the cross! Now is the time for us to live out our faith in bold, humble ways that magnify the glory and beauty of Christ. The solution for the hatred and anger of this generation is the self-denying, grace-filled gospel of Christ. Remember the words of Christ, "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Mat 5:16) As society seems to unravel around us, may we as believers in Christ, wrapped up in the grace of God, embrace the cross and display its glory. Angry hearts melt at the foot of the cross!
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