Today when the reports from Connecticut started flowing over the local and network media, all were shocked again by the tragic shooting in an elementary school. The question of who would enter a Kindergarten classroom and shoot 20 five year old children to death is not something we have imagined before. Each tragic event answers the question, What is truly sacred?
Springfield Facebook writers have been sharing shock, horror and disgust with each other. Many are amazed at the terror that was unleashed. Christians know that evil is present in our world and that nothing and no one is exempt from attacks.
Young children have been killed before. They were in the theatre in Colorado, the parking lot in Tucson, and other places where shootings occurred. This time they were the target. We saw the hatred of a young man against innocent kids that his mother loved. His anger was aimed at those he saw as stealing attention from him.
Can we stop the shootings by limiting access to firearms? Yes, but guns are not the cause of the killings even when they are the means. Limit one weapon and evil will still appear. Evil must be the target. Targeting evil is much more difficult. Evil can be found in every situation. Evil is the enemy. You must tolerate many things, but not evil. Identify the enemy and do not allow evil to reproduce.
Evil can grow because of this. It does not have to. Love can overcome evil. Love is from God and is the Christian’s main weapon. Direct your love at those who are or will be evil. Love can defeat the enemy, but some evil will always exist. Continue the fight even when evil appears to win. We must never give up love.
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