*** Check out the newest article I added at the end of this piece. This is told from my old AAU Coach's perspective.
I am, as the rest of you, beyond saddened at the shooting that happened on Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
This shooting resonates with me on a different level because this was basically my hometown growing up. My old AAU coach is the head basketball coach at the school. I have friends who graduated from there. And a former teacher of mine now teaches there. I played sports at this school often. My dad refereed there.
In the coming days and weeks and months, people will try to blame someone or something for this happening. They will try to blame guns or government or a president. They will try to blame the a person or a school or social media.
I don't care what your views are on guns or the government or the president or how you handle social media in your home. They may not be my views, but that is okay. This is America. We can share our opinion, believe our opinion, and vote for our opinion. I believe it's heathy to have different opinions and discuss them and that opinions should be valued.
However, this post is not about any of those things.
This is about sin.
It is about Satan.
In our world today, Christianity is becoming muted. It is still okay to mention God and faith. But Satan and sin? That's a bit extreme don't you think?
But events like this remind me that the Bible is REAL and what God tells us is TRUE.
This attrocity is about the thief coming to "kill and steal and destroy" (John 10:10). The Bible says: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; be be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
Our world is sinful. And there are many bad things. There are individuals who suffer from mental illness. And I believe Satan and his demons absolutely whisper in people's ear to tell them to commit horrendous acts. I am not saying, of course, that this excuses any behavior. But Satan is evil. And individuals open to listening to Satan are listening to evil.
This may not be an "accepted" thing to say or write. But I believe it is the truth. If Satan is real, then sin exists. And if sin exists, then nothing we physically try to do can stop these types of atrocities.
But here's what we can do.
We can pray. We can have parents groups praying for our schools. We can have parents walking the grounds and gathering together to pray while our kids are at school. We can be involved with young people and try to find every single child a home. Christian adults can open their home to these individuals and teach them about the Lord and eternal life and provide them with hope so that the world is bigger than one bad event.
Eternal life. Salvation. That is what we should be most concerned with. This shooting reminds me that no matter what I do, I cannot protect my children every second of every day. Tomorrow I could lose them. So while teaching them math or making sure they practice piano is important, what is more important is that I teach them about Christ.
"You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14).
The most important lesson in all of this is a reminder that sin and Satan are real. But so is Jesus Christ. So is our Heavenly Father. He is real. And He has told us that our life here is just a moment. We of course want to live our life here on Earth as vibrantly and passionately as we can. But we also want to remember what we are really fighting for and not lose focus on ETERNITY.
Other articles that have stood out to me about this topic:
1 comment:
My oldest is really picking up on the fact the news is saying "adopted" each time this is reported. We don't listen to TV at home but we were at activities where there were radio and TV, and even the Christian radio station welisten to was reporting this way. When other violence happens you don't hear "biological" in the reporting, only ever adopted. Makes me sad and frustrated. I think also the recent loss this young man had and how it seems that so many warnings were there but ignored or missed is so, so, so awful. The whole system fails so many troubled youth. I am so glad that I am able to homeschool my four (all through adoption.) My kids don't need to think this young man being adopted is the main part of him doing such harm. But, conversely, this shows that troubled youth are not being helped adequately. Thank you for your thoughtful writing. It is so easy to look around with judgement when we instead need to look up in faith.
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