Yesterday I came home from work to the terrible news of the shooting at Newton,Ct. All those lives ended by a madman. The television coverage was relentless. Over and over again we heard the tragic tale. Over and over the number of deaths and the stories of the survivors. All that followed by the immediate talk of gun control. The news was numbing. There is no other way to describe it. I was left speechless and feeling a deep sense of sorrow. Sorrow for the lives lost,sorrow for those left to deal with this unimaginable act.
There are questions remaining. The first being, why ? There is no answer for that. There is no reason or explanation for madness. We will try to determine a cause. In our arrogance and grief we will search for the answer. The answer is not to be found. For even if the person that committed this act where alive to tell, it would make little sense to a rational person. It wouldn't be an answer.
The other question being asked is, why would God allow such a thing to happen ? The answer for me is this, God gave man free will. The choices we make are our own, without intervention. God did not give us free will to only make the correct choices in life. God did give a set of laws to live by. Should man break those laws, judgement awaits. Likewise, in this world man writes laws. Should those laws be violated, judgement awaits. Neither God nor Man can write laws that all will obey.
I do not believe that God wanted this to happen. I do not believe it is part of a larger plan. I believe this is an aberration. An act committed by a madman. I believe God is crying along with the rest of world. In our grief and sorrow we will search for answers. For some it will make them question their faith. It is difficult to grasp the enormity of this act. We should remember that our presence on this earth is but a fleeting moment. The blink of an eye. Eternal life has come to those victims of a madman. His judgement lies with the lord. We must remain steadfast in our faith, knowing our God will never fail us.
There are questions remaining. The first being, why ? There is no answer for that. There is no reason or explanation for madness. We will try to determine a cause. In our arrogance and grief we will search for the answer. The answer is not to be found. For even if the person that committed this act where alive to tell, it would make little sense to a rational person. It wouldn't be an answer.
The other question being asked is, why would God allow such a thing to happen ? The answer for me is this, God gave man free will. The choices we make are our own, without intervention. God did not give us free will to only make the correct choices in life. God did give a set of laws to live by. Should man break those laws, judgement awaits. Likewise, in this world man writes laws. Should those laws be violated, judgement awaits. Neither God nor Man can write laws that all will obey.
I do not believe that God wanted this to happen. I do not believe it is part of a larger plan. I believe this is an aberration. An act committed by a madman. I believe God is crying along with the rest of world. In our grief and sorrow we will search for answers. For some it will make them question their faith. It is difficult to grasp the enormity of this act. We should remember that our presence on this earth is but a fleeting moment. The blink of an eye. Eternal life has come to those victims of a madman. His judgement lies with the lord. We must remain steadfast in our faith, knowing our God will never fail us.
My 7-year-old grandson said to his mother "Why are you crying Mom?" and when she told him how sad she was that those children would not be home for Christmas he said "But they will be with God for Christmas Mom - they're not sad!" We grieve for those left behind and for our nation and our world that such evil exists. But the little children shall lead them....
ReplyDeleteI told Mike this afternoon that there is no rationality in a depraved or mentally ill mind. Others might argue that he had the rational to carry out his deed, but the fact is, he HAD to be sick...no healthy mind would choose to perform such an act. I believe he is more to be pitied then censored, though I may be the ONLY one who thinks that right now. I'm blown away with the pain I feel for those little ones, the other victims and their families. I really don't think there is an answer...even if he had a 'reason' in his own mind. He was not rational. And yes, I think God is crying with the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteYour comments were particularly comforting to me. Unfortunately, I watched the drama unfold on TV Friday. Even though I wasn't glued to the TV it played in the background. As a witness to this kind of tradegy I should have known better than to watch another replay. It didn't affect me immediately but by the time the body count came out I had to shut the TV and my day was unsettled. Normally, I would have been with the Salvation Army bell ringers with my dog who is costumed for the season. I went out for an hour but I couldn't take the sight of the kids so I abbreviated my stand with them. A ringer saw my distress and pointed out that it was an act of human craziness that we had no way to influence. Your words are the truth of these situations. It sometimes takes years to come to grips with things that happen. The usual commentary and analysis will be made. In Oklahoma City at the Murrah Bldg. stands a statue as testimony to what happened there ........ and "Jesus wept"; the shortest words of the New Testament. There are no words to explain the actions of the darkest side of humanity. You testified to the truth. I appreciate your commentary. I have seen in a one hour time frame the worst and best of life in the US; its the best that we have to focus on as we make our way past the worst. It is free will to wallow in the regret or live to improve the future.
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