We’ve all been rocked to our core this week by the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen people senselessly murdered by a troubled teen is unbearable news. I pray for the families and friends of the victims, for all touched by this horrific tragedy, who now must survive, heal and move through and beyond their shock and sorrow, and keep on living.
I am grateful for the heroic acts of those who stepped up and prevented more loss than what was seen. Students, faculty and first responders jumped into action and saved many more lives, thankfully. The Football coach who sacrificed himself by shielding students with his own body. The Librarian who quickly moved 55 students into the media equipment room and locked the doors the moment the school went on lockdown. The Junior ROTC student who helped 60+ people into a ROTC room and covered their barriers with Kevlar sheets used in the ROTC training program. The police officer who followed his instincts when he saw the boy not far from the scene, and arrested him on sight.
Human tragedy seems to bring out the best in many people in the face of, and despite horrendous, evil acts of people who create the very chaos that gives opportunity for them to respond heroically. There are heroes all around us, who thankfully, when something happens, will step up and save lives. But what of those who desire harm…who deliberately create mayhem and take lives of the innocent? There will always be evil present on planet earth until Jesus comes again. Disease, sin and death is all part of the human dilemma. That’s why Jesus left His throne and came to earth to save us from our human dilemma.
There are no easy answers when we are faced with such heartbreak as the Parkland school shooting. I know people want to politicize such events for their particular side or position; but as followers of Jesus Christ, we need to look at this with the heart of our Creator God. How He must grieve at the site of such a senseless loss of human life! How He must grieve for the one so troubled in his soul that he could fulfill such a violent act of mass murder!
At times like this, I feel helpless. Like nothing I can say or do could make a difference for good. We can try to impact public policy by voting our conscience. But that won’t impact a human heart. Our only hope is in the transformation of human hearts. Christ came to transform human hearts. He is our only true hope! The peace of Christ is the hope for the families grieving the loss of their loved ones. The strength of Christ is the hope for the survivors making their way through the pain and suffering of this tragedy. The saving grace of Christ is the hope for the troubled boy facing the conviction of 17 counts of murder and his own possible death sentence. The mercy of Christ is the hope for us all who have another day to live life.
God’s Word is always a comfort to me and gives me a perspective of hope. The life of Christ gives us a future and a hope for eternity, beyond the limitations of this earthly plane. I am today particularly encouraged by Paul’s words to the church at Philippi:
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature with God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God.”
In the end, Christ has won the victory over the human dilemma – disease, sin and death. For me, rather than feeling helpless, I am inspired to be hopeful. How can i impact for good one human heart? How can I, for the sake of one soul, offer the hope that is in Christ Jesus? For I already know that in the end, EVERY KNEE will bow…and EVERY TONGUE will confess that Jesus Christ is our only hope and our only Lord. Amen!
FOR THE SAKE OF THE WORLD
I’m laying down my life, I’m giving up control
I’m never looking back, I surrender all
I’m living for Your glory on the earth
This passion in my heart, this stirring in my soul
To see the nations bow, for all the world to know
I’m living for your glory on the earth
For the sake of the world, burn like a fire in me
Light a flame in my soul, for every eye to see
For the sake of the world, burn like a fire in me
For every knee to bow down, for every heart to believe
For every voice to cry out, burn like a fire in me
For every tongue to confess, that you alone are the King
You are the hope of the earth
Burn like a fire in me