Lamenting Violence

(April 23, 2007)

Violence is not new to mankind. According to Genesis, when only four people lived on this planet, Cain “slew” his brother Able in a fit of jealousy and anger. Unless we have buried one of our own children, we cannot imagine the grief Adam and Eve must have felt at that shocking, inexplicable moment when they discovered the lifeless body of their son.

Multiply that shock, grief, and anger a thousand fold for all the parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, spouses, children and friends of the innocent victims in Blacksburg, Virginia last Monday. Such an evil act defies comprehension or explanation; and yet we cannot escape trying to make some sense of it.

I know all our hearts and our prayers reach out to those who have suffered such terrible loss, and the Virginia Tech community in general.

Violence has become far too commonplace in our lives. We see it on TV shows, in the movies and 24 hour news, in video games and sports event. We have become desensitized by the unending instances of man’s-inhumanity-to-man.

At the risk of sounding cynical, I expect the anti-gun and pro-gun forces will wage another loud debate, legislatures will hold hearings and pass more laws to add to the thousands we already have…and at the end, not much will change…including the inevitable fact that someday, somewhere, some deranged person will try to set a new standard in human carnage. Then the cycle will repeat itself.

I hope we learn something from each increasing spiral of violence that may help reduce, if not totally eliminate these acts of sheer evil. I am hopeful as only a Christian can be hopeful! The Bible tells us of the coming day when mankind will beat their weapons of war into plow shares, and the lion and lamb will lay down in peace beside each other. God assures us that good will ultimately win the cosmic struggle with evil.

As Adam and Eve learned, one may never get OVER such loss, but with God’s help, we will get THROUGH our grief to a new day of hope. For Adam and Eve, it was their third son, whom they named “Seth”, symbolizing a new beginning. (That is not to say one child can replace another, but Adam and Eve recognized Seth’s birth as God’s blessing for a new beginning.) "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." (Genesis 4:25).

For others, there will be different “new beginnings”. As impossible as it seems now, with God’s help we can take actions meant for evil, and make of them something meant for good, as Joseph did when he forgave his brothers in Egypt.

Oh Lord, please hasten the coming reign of the Prince of Peace; and until then, please grant us your Divine consolation.

From the Quote Garden
“It's not the bullet with my name on it that worries me. It's the one that says "To whom it may concern."”
~ Anonymous Belfast resident, quoted in London Guardian, 1991