Illinois Shootings last Thursday

Forgive me if this isn’t my most organized post, its more of a heartfelt response for what just happened then a theological dissertation…

But if you haven’t heard already, a fourth school shooting this week has occurred at a university in Illinois.

You can read about it here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7247390.stm
or here:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,330792,00.html

It was a school just like mine, in a lecture hall just like the ones I sit in every day. This same thing happened a year ago at Virgina tech, but what’s different about this is that this guy was not some strange outcast; he was a respected and admired member of the school community. It makes me think about just how easily a shooting like this one could happen right here, by anyone, even someone I would never suspect.

Why is that? Why does this happen? How do I deal with this? Should I be afraid, should I be sad? These are some of the questions that are running through my head. However, the problem with questions like these is that they just leave us lost, they give us no hope, nothing to live for. Thankfully, I think scripture has the answers, and thus gives us a reason to continue on, it gives me hope.

We live in a fallen, sin saturated, evil world. Romans 3:12 tells us that there is none who does good, not even one! Every one of us has a sin nature, we do evil things, and so we bring the down the whole world around us. Yes, this man may have murdered those students, which was just wrong, but in Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus tells us that even being angry with someone is evil just like putting a gun to their head. My anger has can be just as disastrous to myself and others. I’m part of this, I look at fighting in Africa or the shootings here and I’m saddened or I get upset, but I ignore the own evils that rest in MY heart! We are all the cause of evil things like this and we deserve the same punishment before a good God just like that shooter does. Anyone of us could turn into a murder, we can’t lie to ourselves, say I’m better than that, because at the center of human nature is inclination to follow the first murder (john 8:44). Maybe we don’t murder, but we all do things that can be just as damaging.

But how do I deal with this realization? First, I can continue because the greatest story every told is a true one. I had every desire to do evil and I deserve punishment, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)," (Ephesians 2:4-5). Jesus died in our place, taking the punishment for sinners just like you and me, and thus no matter how much we deserve punishment from screwing up this world, our debt has been paid. Now that doesn’t excuse continuing to do evil (See Romans 6), but when we realize that evil like this exists in us as well, a huge load is lifted when we know that Jesus Christ, the most worthy person in existence, God Himself, paid for our penalty with His life. We just have to fall at the feet of Jesus, believe in Him alone, not in ourselves, and instead of seeing our evil hearts and actions, God will see Jesus.So, that takes care of why and how I should deal with my own guilt, but you may have thought of another question that I haven’t mentioned yet…. Why does our good, all powerful God allow these things to happen? To fully address this question properly would take a whole post if not its own book, but I will say where I can still find hope. Romans 8:28 says, “"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (emphasis added). Notice that God is the One who causes all events, not just uses events, or works with events to make them good, but He causes EVERYTHING, for the good of those who love Him. For those of us who love Him, this is a great hope, we know that He has our best interest in mind and we can trust Him to control everything that happens. But it should also be a great motivation for those who don’t love God… not only will God take away the punishment due you, if you turn and love Him, He will design every situation you are in for your benefit, even if that benefit is not apparent right away.

We may ask then, was the shooter not guilty of his evil actions, and no, that’s not true either. But read the story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50 and see the great evil orchestrated against Joseph by his own brothers (selling the guy into slavery) and then read Genesis 50:20:

"“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result…."

Yes, the shooter had very evil intentions and is just as accountable for his evil actions and heart as everyone else, BUT GOD (just like in Ephesians) meant this situation too for good. We just have to pray for it and wait to see what the good actually was, even if we never do in this life.

Lastly, how do I respond to this?
Romans 12:15 says "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep." Now is a time to weep with those who suffer, but I can express God’s love and I can know that God planned this out for the ultimate good. I can trust that even though this situation is hard and may even get harder, God is completely sovereign, completely in control. Thus, why should I fear? If this same event happened at my school, the most anyone could take from me would be my life. But I like Paul will say, “"we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8). If I live, my life is not my own, so I can only use it to serve my King (Matthew 16:24-25). God has me in His awesome, all powerful hands, and I’ll trust Him through it all.

Let’s pray for those at Northern Illinois University, that they too will find this hope, because that alone is the only thing that will get them through this hard time and the future hard times of this life.