Editor's Note: One year ago today I published this blog post. It was just after the mass murders in Parkland, Florida. One year later, almost to the day, (the Parkland shootings were on February 14, 2018), on February 15, 2019 there was another mass murder of innocent people this time in Aurora, Illinois. Today I revised it replacing Parkland with Aurora. The story is the same and it occurs much too often in this nation.
I’ve had to write a post like this one much too often. I said it first in a post in June 2015 “Enough Is Enough...Lord Heal This Land”.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT)14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.
Yet another unspeakable tragedy has shaken us. How can it be? Our hearts are broken over the shooting in Aurora, IL and for the community and every person and family whose life is forever affected by the shocking violence and indescribable loss.
We here in in the United States have seen this scene play out much much too often. Think about it. There have been too many instances of mass killings in this country going back nearly as far as the founding of this nation. The following is from Wikipedia - Mass Shootings in the United States
The frequency in which mass shootings occur depends upon definition. In recent years, the number of public mass shootings has increased substantially, even though there has been a massive decrease in gun related deaths.[9] Studies indicate that the rate at which public mass shootings occur has tripled since 2011. Between 1982 and 2011, a mass shooting occurred roughly once every 200 days. However, between 2011 and 2014 that rate has accelerated greatly with at least one mass shooting occurring every 64 days in the United States.[10]
A comprehensive report by USA Today tracked all mass killings from 2006 through 2017 in which the perpetrator willfully killed 4 or more people. For firearm mass killing instances, it found 271 incidents with a total of 1,358 victims. This equates to a mass shooting approximately every 16 days. roughly 22.5 per year, with a mean of 5.01 victims per incident.[11]
The following are the 20 deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history (c. 1950 forward). This list does not include the shooting in Parkland, FL, Thousand Oaks, CA, hundred of others in 2018 and 2019 and the latest in Aurora, IL on February 15, 2019
I’ve had to write a post like this one much too often. I said it first in a post in June 2015 “Enough Is Enough...Lord Heal This Land”.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT)14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.
Yet another unspeakable tragedy has shaken us. How can it be? Our hearts are broken over the shooting in Aurora, IL and for the community and every person and family whose life is forever affected by the shocking violence and indescribable loss.
We here in in the United States have seen this scene play out much much too often. Think about it. There have been too many instances of mass killings in this country going back nearly as far as the founding of this nation. The following is from Wikipedia - Mass Shootings in the United States
The frequency in which mass shootings occur depends upon definition. In recent years, the number of public mass shootings has increased substantially, even though there has been a massive decrease in gun related deaths.[9] Studies indicate that the rate at which public mass shootings occur has tripled since 2011. Between 1982 and 2011, a mass shooting occurred roughly once every 200 days. However, between 2011 and 2014 that rate has accelerated greatly with at least one mass shooting occurring every 64 days in the United States.[10]
A comprehensive report by USA Today tracked all mass killings from 2006 through 2017 in which the perpetrator willfully killed 4 or more people. For firearm mass killing instances, it found 271 incidents with a total of 1,358 victims. This equates to a mass shooting approximately every 16 days. roughly 22.5 per year, with a mean of 5.01 victims per incident.[11]
The following are the 20 deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history (c. 1950 forward). This list does not include the shooting in Parkland, FL, Thousand Oaks, CA, hundred of others in 2018 and 2019 and the latest in Aurora, IL on February 15, 2019
No this post is not a rant about gun control although those of you who know me know my position on gun control. It’s not a rant about race relations in this country although those of you who know me know my position on race relations. It’s not a post to defend my political or social or moral ideologies, although those of you who know me know my positions on these things. It is not a post to defend my religious beliefs or to convince you to accept them. I’m not going to ask if you are saved or want to be saved in this post. I will ask it in others but not this one. This post is a plea to all of us white, black, red, yellow, Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, independent, Christian, non-Christian, atheist, straight, gay, to take a look at ourselves and this nation, and start making those changes within ourselves, changes that end these horrific acts. That may sound like an impossible task, and it may be, but it’s worth a try. With the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit our efforts will result in change.
I know that at the root of these kinds of things is the fact that there is evil in this world as a result of Adam’s sin. I also know that evil will continue until the return of Jesus to this world. However while we wait there are some things we can do to make that wait more bearable and one is to turn our attention to the One who does have the answers. That One is our heavenly Father who has given us promises and survival tools in His Word, the Bible. I know that I said that I will not defend my moral ideology, or my religious belief in this post but when I’m looking for a answer to the most difficult problems I don’t know any better place to go than to the source of all the answers and for me that’s God and His word, the bible.
It all boils down to our going to Jesus.
Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
We need Jesus. He is the only One who can bring peace, hope, and restoration to our broken, hurting world.
We Need You, Lord
by Max Lucado, from God is With You Every Day
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. — Matthew 6:9-10
Dear Lord,
We’re still hoping we’ll wake up. We’re still hoping we’ll open a sleepy eye and think, What a horrible dream.
We are sad, Father. And so we come to You. We don’t ask You for help; we beg You for it. We don’t request; we implore. We’ve read the accounts. We’ve pondered the stories, and now we plead, “Do it again, Lord. Do it again.”
Remember Joseph? You rescued him from the pit. And Sarah? Remember her prayers? You heard them. Joshua? Remember his fears? You inspired him. The women at the tomb? You resurrected their hope. The doubts of Thomas? You took them away.
Do it again, Lord. Do it again.
Most of all, do again what You did at Calvary. After Your Son lay three days in a dark hole, you turned the darkest Friday into the brightest Sunday.
Do it again, Lord. Turn this Calvary into an Easter.
Let Your mercy be upon all who suffer. Give us grace that we might forgive and faith that we might believe.
And look kindly upon Your Church. For two thousand years You’ve used her to heal a hurting world.
Do it again, Lord. Do it again.
Through Christ,
Amen.
Excerpted with permission from God Is With You Every Day by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.
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