Another week. Another shooting.
And so I sit at my laptop, soberly scrapping the thoughts originally penned for today’s post, knowing another topic takes greater priority, as our heads and hearts are focused elsewhere.
But my heart hurts when focusing there. Horrific, senseless tragedies hurt.
Oh, wait… I hear “those” already. “Those” are the “I’m-mad-as-hell-and-not-going-to-take-it-anymore” crowd… I get it. I don’t want to take it any more either.
In all sincerity, it’s challenging to respond to part of this crowd — not because they aren’t well-intentioned — I believe they are; like the rest of us, they want the violence to stop. Their “loudness” is in obvious response to how much these senseless tragedies hurt. But when a person is “mad-as-hell” about gun violence yet calm and cool regarding mass beheadings and Islamic terrorism, I find the messaging inconsistent and thus hard to adhere or respectfully respond to.
There are another set of “those”… “those” who get immediately, completely all riled up over San Bernardino, but are still preaching patience in regard to any judgment of the shooter at Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs. Both were inspired by some kind of evil. We can’t justify rushing to judgment in one but reserving it in the other; that’s inconsistent. Again, it’s hard to listen well to inconsistent proclamations.
Here’s the thing…
The most talked about tragedies across the country today are San Bernardino, Planned Parenthood, and Paris — each an instance in which gunmen inspired by evil — or something obviously wrong within them — intentionally killed innocent others. What they each did is awful. The scary part is that these three events sadly only cover the most recent three weeks. The killing will happen again. The killing may be closer to you and me.
And yet… most of us are inconsistent in one or more of the following:
- Calling people out
- Rushing to judgment
- Identifying ideology
- Offering mercy and grace
- Advocating a new approach
- Being specific about who’s at fault
- Blaming other people
When we are inconsistent, it’s hard to listen well to one another.
My heart hurts. Did I say that already?
God be with the families involved in yesterday’s shooting in San Bernardino. Initial reports are that at least 14 have been killed. Multiple gunmen walked into a state-established medical facility, contracted out to non-profit organizations to serve people with disabilities.
My heart hurts even more.
So could we please stop this “mad-as-hell” thing?
Sorry, but “those” are not helping; “those” are not moving us toward solution… especially, with all due respect, when “those” people are inconsistent.
May God be with us all.
Respectfully…
AR