Why are we so ANGRY and what is our fixation on guns?
As we approach the holiday season, the season of peace, my thoughts came back to this article I posted several months ago. Once again, the news feeds are abuzz about a young man who has just shot and killed the CEO of a major healthcare organization. Not knowing the complete circumstances of his life, I imagine that all of us at some point in time have serious incidents with health care that have left us scratching our heads or outright furious and ready to go to war. We don’t know God’s master plan or what good may come of that episode, but we must remember what THIS season means. It is the time when God gave us the best present of all — His Son.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
His name was Jesus. Many expected him to be a mighty warrior who would overthrow the Roman Empire. But he was sent as an emissary, an ambassador so to speak, to show us how to live life on this earth by becoming one of us and living among us. His name was also “Emmanuel” meaning God with us. And when His life on this earth was completed, He said that He would leave us with a peace that the world would / could not understand unless they know Him. Only that peace will get us through the trying times ahead. May you come to know that peace.
The Art of War
The Art of Love
When I opened my email this morning, the first item on the news feed was about a shooting in Louisville, Kentucky. It appears that not too long after this incident there was another shooting reported nearby. What is fueling so much anger and hatred among people?
The lack of relationship
Many years ago, a young Jewish man chose 12 ordinary working men with the simple words “follow me”. As he lived and traveled daily with these 12 men, they developed a relationship of love and devotion not only to him but to each other. He often told them, and anyone who was willing to listen, parables. Just to name those that are most widely known, these parables consistently revolved around relationships.
- A wounded man and 1) the religious people who ignored him, and 2) the stranger who helped him
- The prodigal son and 1) the father who loved him unconditionally, and 2) the brother who became jealous
The lack of peace
When he was preparing for his own death, he told his disciples that he would give them a peace that the world would not understand. And today, it still does not. But first he asked them 2 questions:
- Who do others say that I am: they responded with great teacher, prophet, etc.
- Who do YOU say that I am to which they replied “the son of God, the Messiah”
This is where it starts, acknowledging the source of peace.
This past week, followers of Jesus all over the world celebrated the death and resurrection of this Jewish man. His death is considered God’s eternal plan of reconciling man back to God, the last blood sacrifice for sin, and the opening for the Holy Spirit (God) to dwell within all men. The covenant between God and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had been modified, giving people direct access to God through Him. Do you receive that peace? It is obtained simply by expressing your belief in Jesus and accepting this unconditional act of love He provided.
Live that love and peace in your daily walk
Relationships thrive on conversation: have a daily conversation with God
Fuel your earthly relationships with encouragement and praise, and, if necessary, gentle criticism
See each individual through eyes of love and treat them as you would treat yourself
Just some personal thoughts
What is our fixation on guns and why can’t we give them up? We are not living in the era of the Pilgrims when their communities were isolated and surrounded by people that they considered hostile. Nor are we living in the Wild, Wild West where law enforcement consisted of a sheriff and most likely one deputy in town, a long way from the ranch. Most of us live in densely populated areas with a dedicated police force of hundreds who can be summoned within minutes.
I remember when I was in my early 20s, there was a young man who returned to our church after serving in the Marines. One day he had an argument with his brother and shot him. I don’t remember whether he killed him or not, but even if he is still alive, that relationship was damaged. If the gun had not been in the house, they would have had to find another way to resolve their differences. Guns take away the difficulty in resolving disagreements and de-personalize the victim. He had learned the art of war, but not the art of love despite serving in the church.
That Jewish man I spoke of earlier left us with 2 perspectives on relationships:
- Those who live by the sword will die by the sword
- Love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself
Random Thoughts 
Hi Laree, it’s great to see you in action again. I really like the idea of publishing Random Thoughts, I have “random thoughts” all of the time. I share some of my thoughts with a couple of buddies of mine. One of my random thoughts is that the world has been changing, it appears the world is becoming more complicated; it doesn’t have to be. You point out very eloquently in your writing about the “lack of relationship”, and “the lack of peace”. You suggest that we incorporate peace in our daily lives by incorporating God in our lives. This has always been the plan of God and the solution he has for every generation.
We don’t need guns in society, we are returning to the days of the Wild West. Sensible people can work out their differences by talking things over and negotiation. Let’s add another ingredient; love. God is in each person on earth. We might be able to visually see this, but it’s true.
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These are very enlightening thoughts. I think our young people see so much killing and violence on television and just everyday life, that it has became a norm for them. They believe that, this is the only way to survive is by having a gun. I just think we all need to pray more. This country was build on in God We Trust. We need to get back there
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Actually we CAN visibly see God in every person on earth because, as we are told in Genesis 1:27, we are all created in His image. Which only further highlights the error of our ways in continuing to sow seeds of discord (all artificial, man-made constructs) among us when we are clearly all ONE! By example after example the message of our “oneness” is shouted to us in the Bible and yet throughout the history of humankind we have persisted in this notion of “sides” – Jews and Gentiles; black, white, brown, yellow, red, etc.; nationalities; democrats vs. republicans; etc.; etc.; etc. There are no “sides”. We are all just human beings made in the image of God Almighty. We don’t need guns, political parties, nationalities, “isms” or any of the other myriad artificial, man-made constructs we have developed over time to separate us one from another. All we have ever needed is simply to understand that God is love! And therefore love is the answer that we can apply by simply following the golden rule of doing unto others as we would have them do unto us and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. This is the answer, it always has been the answer, and it always will be the answer. And Humankind will continue to struggle until we KNOW and ACCEPT this simple fact. So help me God!
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