Are We Becoming a
“Shoot Down” Society?
Maybe what follows is my way of dealing with the death of 20
young children and 8 adults – including a sad sole young man who turned to
violence in dealing with the demons inside his soul. I am trying to make sense of a senseless and
truly unexplainable situation. While
even stricter gun control laws and mental resources need to be put into place,
there is a core issue that needs to be addressed!
We live in a society where children are exposed constantly to a “shoot
down” society. Increasinged exposure to
anger and violence is their daily fare. Whether
it is shooting people down in the public or political arena of the exchange of
ideas with less than civil words or the scenes of violence from around the
world; whether it is visible increase in violence in sports or in film or in
“shoot’em” dead video games where the more dead gives the gamer more points,
children and youth are probably exposed to anger and more violent behavior than
in any other time in the history of the world.
Before 24-hour news which can bring the bellicose, disrespectful words,
dead bodies into our living room or the games that allow the players to kill
the enemy without experiencing the finality of their actions, there was a
greater possibility of innocent souls having a longer age of innocence. Guns were for killing wild game for the
dinner table or as sport. Guns were used
by soldiers in faraway lands to fight for freedom and justice. Except for an occasional arcade sharp
shooting contest, children had little exposure to a “shoot’em” dead world. Yes access to guns needs to be more strictly
controlled, but it is the mindset of those who would shoot that needs to be
addressed. Civility in speech and less
access to violence in the media for children and youth needs to be
unequivocally addressed.
In this season we need to commit ourselves more boldly to an
action figure, the child of Bethlehem.
The Prince of Peace came to terminate hatred and anger through weapons
of love and grace. The Herods of the
world will try to kill his message, but it is our duty to protect the Child and
his message. Violence in our society
must subside and no children of God should suffer the fate of 20 little ones in
Newtown, CT.
Prayer – God of Christmas, Good Friday and Easter, with the
birth of a Child heal our broken hearts for we once again have experienced the
pain of our loss of innocent children and our innocence. More than ever, we now need the hope and joy
of Christmas to enter our hearts. May
the child be born in us again so that we might be vehicles of your love and
instruments of your peace. Amen.
Trying to celebrate a birth of a Little One who brings a
message that can bring true peace to a violent world! Bob
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