"God isn't fixing this!"
This was the headline in the NY Daily News after another mass shooting in America. The angry headline was aimed specifically at the Republican presidential candidates who responded with prayer for the victims rather than with "tough talk" about gun control.
Regardless of one's political views, it is sad that we have reached the point that partisan, political attacks are the first response to a national tragedy. There are times to pause, express sympathy, offer prayers, and seek common ground rather than amp up the rhetoric and stir up anger.
This is one of those times.
14 victims are dead. 21 are injured. Countless others will have the rest of their lives impacted by the loss of a husband, wife, brother, sister, son, daughter, or friend.
If prayers are not appropriate now, then we have truly reached a state of callous coldness.
And great naivete.
The implication behind the NY Daily News is simple.
God can't fix this but government can…with a lot more laws and policies.
Is gun control a worthy debate? Certainly. If there are things that we can do to minimize access to assault weapons to those intent on violence, then by all means let's explore them. Will this solve all our problems and prevent all future tragedies? Certainly not.
Access to guns did not create the hatred that mercilessly murdered 14 victims with the desire to kill more. These individuals were intent on violence and were planning and collecting as many different weapons as possible to make it happen.
Whether it is 9/11, the Boston Marathon bombing, or the recent Paris attacks, we must realize that more laws won't change the human heart.
Should government do what they can to punish evildoers and protect citizens? Yes. Should we do all we can to pass wise laws and policies? Absolutely. Should we acknowledge the growing realities of radical Islam, media violence, family and community breakdown, and moral decline? Definitely.
But we must also recognize our limitations and our need for God's wisdom, justice, and grace.
That is why we pray.
If people think that those who pray in such tragedies are naive, then they should consider their own naivete.
Sure…peace and love sound wonderful. But to think that just giving everyone a free education, a good job, and a bottle of Coke will create world harmony is living in a dream world.
We can't even get along with the people in our own family much less the person who lives across the street…or across the globe.
There is something desperately wrong with the human heart and no politician can change that.
There is also something desperately wrong with our world and no government can fix that.
Pass all the laws you want but you are not going to eliminate natural disasters, cure all diseases, tame all animals, stop all selfishness, heal all wounds, mend all families, end all wars, and abolish all death.
Who do we think we are?
God?
No, according to our world, He doesn't exist.
We have dethroned Him and tried to take His seat.
And then we wonder why our world is such a mess.
We mock God for not magically showing up to do our bidding and we attack those who have the audacity to offer hope in the midst of tragedy.
But what other real hope do we have?
If God can't fix this, then we have no other options. We are not the masters of our own fate. We are not the gods of this world. We are not in control. We are not immortal. We struggle with our own thoughts and emotions. We fight against our own wills. We are subject to the weakness and limitations of our own body.
We are mortal beings.
We desperately need Someone who can change our heart. Give us new life. Provide hope for a new world.
We need a God who is willing to enter our violent world and fix our own messes.
God is fixing this.
And He has already started…in a manger, on a cross, and out of a empty tomb.
In case we have forgotten, that's what Christmas is all about.
Well said and an excellent Op/Ed for the Advocate-Times Picayune. Thank you.