Another tragic mass killing, and the script and response seem to be still the same. People in general, blame it on easy gun access, especially to an 18-year-old. To some extent, this is a valid point. It is very true that no person, especially an 18-year-old, should be able to obtain an assault weapon for several reasons legally. The most obvious one would be, why would he or anyone else NEED it? There really is no acceptable answer other than it inflict harm. So this might address the first question, which is; what happened and what was used to make it happen. And that’s where changing the legality to purchase, and thus access guns would be a logical response to it. However, a much more daunting question (when it comes to finding resolution) we must grapple with is, WHY did it happen?
Even as menacing and threatening an assault weapon is, it still can cause absolutely no damage unless there is a person motivated to use it to inflict such damage. Just like drugs, alcohol, chemicals, and explosives can cause no damage on their own. Someone is needed to employ their dangerous function. So, it just seems if we can get to the ‘why’ in these tragedies, then we can hopefully find a way to diffuse and remove the motive and, thus, the subsequent action of that unstable person. This is likely, the only course of action we as a society can undertake which will bring true change and an end to these atrocities.
It may be challenging to first try to identify what is causing the void in a person’s life, which ultimately must be filled with this type of behaviour.
So I have attempted to look into this at the deepest, core level that I am able to. I believe and have observed a secularizing movement, over many decades, to systematically remove God, or even acknowledge Him, in our society in all areas such as the school, government, sports etc. We have therefore suffered the consequences of not desiring to live our lives under the governance of His two great commands.
In Matthew 22:37-39, it says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.” If we can live in accordance with these directives, then there will not be an occurrence of breaking any of the ten commandments, such as committing murder! This would even cover the huge problem of mental illness, which may have been sourced and cultivated by an abusive and destructive upbringing in countless ways. This problem, in many cases, might not have existed if all families of any type had lived in obedience to God’s Word and all the implications that entail.
The two great commands also cover and include never abandoning one’s family, at any time, right from the inception of marriage. There would almost always be both a father and mother present to support and raise children in the “admonishment and nurture of the Lord.” Thus, there would not be a void in a child’s life which needs to be filled in some other, and often harmful, way.
1 Peter 4:8 states, “Above all, Love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sin.” When we removed God and His marvellous, harmonious relationship plan, which existed right from the creation of the Garden of Eden, this produced a huge void. This void would need to be filled from elsewhere. It is called sin, and it includes people shooting people!
Loving others unconditionally and treating each one, no matter who, with respect and honour, seems so far from where we are now. But God’s plan and will for us all is still available. It’s not too late. If we choose to follow his ways in compliance with Him. The results and changes in our world will be astounding.
Ron Pullan, Uxbridge