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| I've held on to this sketch for a long time. I'd like to thank the artist. It portrays well what we do when we make ourselves the center of everything. |
Two brothers were walking out in the field together. They had great parents and they had everything they needed. Their parents were well educated and the boys were given the best education available. This walk in the field was different from others, and it became all the more obvious when one brother returned alone. He had blood on his hands. I'm referring to the first murder of human history found in the Bible by the very first brothers.
I share this story to shed some light on the recent school shooting in Connecticut and other heinous crimes that have happened recently.
The blame has been going in all the wrong places. The sad fact is that things like this are used as opportunities to give people that are power hungry more control. It is the concept that the government will take care of us. They want to tell us they will prevent these things in the future. How? Look at the 9-11 tragedy. They started a new government department and took away Constitutional rights of citizen's privacy in airports. Look at the hurricane disasters. "We'll stop that from happening again!" More power and money granted. The point is that there are many things beyond the scope of the government's help and it's wrong for them to pretend that they prevent certain things.
When Cain killed his brother it wasn't because he was off his medication (though who would say he was in his right mind?) He recognised after the fact that his life would be in danger and his reputation was done. You couldn't say he didn't get a good education as his parents were the wisest people living at the time. You couldn't say he grew up in a bad environment as his righteous brother was brought up in the same environment. It certainly wasn't the club or weapon he used that was the problem. The problem was his love of self. God had already confronted him about how he needed to change, but God left him with a free will; and with that free will he did the unthinkable and the unknown until that time.
I watched a video of a father of one of the victims in the Connecticut shooting explain that he knew that this happened as a result of free will and that free will is great gift though it can be used so wrongly. For that reason God continues to seek to reason with men just like he did with Cain saying, "Come and let us reason together..."
There is an email that "went viral" back a few years ago that was the testimony of Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Joy Scott, a victim of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colorado. He gave it on May 27, 1999 before the Subcommittee on Crime of the House Judiciary Committee. These are his words:
"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers." "The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field.
The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart. "In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA.
I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent."
"I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy-it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room.
Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. "I wrote a poem that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today:"
What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties.
We do not need more restrictive laws." Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.
Political posturing and restrictive legislation are not the answers. The young people of our nation hold the key. There is a spiritual awakening taking place that will not be squelched! We do not need more religion. We do not need more gaudy television evangelists spewing out verbal religious garbage. We do not need more million dollar church buildings built while people with basic needs are being ignored.
We do need a change of heart and a humble acknowledgment that this nation was founded on the principle of simple trust in God!" "As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, He did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right!
I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA- I give to you a sincere challenge.
Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone! My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"
References:
God asking men to reason with him.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Isa&c=1&t=KJV#18
Cain kills his brother.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Gen&c=4&t=KJV#8
Darrell Scotts testimony
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bldarrellscott.htm
I share this story to shed some light on the recent school shooting in Connecticut and other heinous crimes that have happened recently.
The blame has been going in all the wrong places. The sad fact is that things like this are used as opportunities to give people that are power hungry more control. It is the concept that the government will take care of us. They want to tell us they will prevent these things in the future. How? Look at the 9-11 tragedy. They started a new government department and took away Constitutional rights of citizen's privacy in airports. Look at the hurricane disasters. "We'll stop that from happening again!" More power and money granted. The point is that there are many things beyond the scope of the government's help and it's wrong for them to pretend that they prevent certain things.
When Cain killed his brother it wasn't because he was off his medication (though who would say he was in his right mind?) He recognised after the fact that his life would be in danger and his reputation was done. You couldn't say he didn't get a good education as his parents were the wisest people living at the time. You couldn't say he grew up in a bad environment as his righteous brother was brought up in the same environment. It certainly wasn't the club or weapon he used that was the problem. The problem was his love of self. God had already confronted him about how he needed to change, but God left him with a free will; and with that free will he did the unthinkable and the unknown until that time.
I watched a video of a father of one of the victims in the Connecticut shooting explain that he knew that this happened as a result of free will and that free will is great gift though it can be used so wrongly. For that reason God continues to seek to reason with men just like he did with Cain saying, "Come and let us reason together..."
There is an email that "went viral" back a few years ago that was the testimony of Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Joy Scott, a victim of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colorado. He gave it on May 27, 1999 before the Subcommittee on Crime of the House Judiciary Committee. These are his words:
"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers." "The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field.
The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart. "In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA.
I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent."
"I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy-it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room.
Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. "I wrote a poem that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today:"
Your laws ignore our deepest needs,"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, soul, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and reek havoc. Spiritual influences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact.
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!
What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties.
We do not need more restrictive laws." Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.
Political posturing and restrictive legislation are not the answers. The young people of our nation hold the key. There is a spiritual awakening taking place that will not be squelched! We do not need more religion. We do not need more gaudy television evangelists spewing out verbal religious garbage. We do not need more million dollar church buildings built while people with basic needs are being ignored.
We do need a change of heart and a humble acknowledgment that this nation was founded on the principle of simple trust in God!" "As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, He did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right!
I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA- I give to you a sincere challenge.
Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone! My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"
References:
God asking men to reason with him.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Isa&c=1&t=KJV#18
Cain kills his brother.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Gen&c=4&t=KJV#8
Darrell Scotts testimony
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bldarrellscott.htm
Nothing left to say, you have said it all and very well indeed.
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful to have discovered this blog post, by way of Herrick Kimball. Mr. Woodburn, I so appreciate the bedrock truth in your essay. It's hard to watch our dying republic having gasoline poured on it by current "leaders". Come, Lord Jesus.
ReplyDeleteThere was the shooting and people ask for gun control. There were the subway shovings and people ask for walls and doors on the platforms. We ignore the real problem of mental illness and it's vulnerability to evil. Yes evil (the lack of God) exists. The only way to fix it is to insert God in our everyday lives not just on Sunday. I also found you by way of Mr. Kimbal. God bless you both.
ReplyDelete