My heart sank as I read the news of the shooting in Las Vegas. Everyone was talking about it. In line at the bank the man in front of me was insisting to the two tellers that this is surely a sign of the end times. I am not sure about that, but there is something very wrong.
There is something wrong when so many people believe that the way to get their point across is to strap a bomb to themselves, drive through crowds of innocent people, or pick up guns and open fire into crowds.
How did we let hate get so out of control that anyone would feel justified in taking lives... not only lives, but lives of innocent strangers. I don't know if the media has made us desensitized or what, but how can we as a society ignore this hate to argue about politics?
We NEED to stand together to say this is wrong and must stop. Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Hindu must stand TOGETHER and say, "No, this is not the way." Blacks, Whites, Asians, and Hispanics must stand together and say, "No, this is not the way." Gay, straight, transgender, and bisexual must stand together and say, "No, this is not the way." Believe it or not Democrats and Republicans need to get over themselves and stand together and say, "No, this is not the way and we will no longer tolerate it!"
Yesterday was World Communion Sunday where we remembered that all are God's children, all over the world. We sang "Jesus loves the little children; all the children of the world. Red, brown, yellow, black, and white we are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.
I don't know if it is the end times or not, but I know God's heart is breaking that hate, prejudice, and nonacceptance seems to rule all of our society. If we say nothing to condemn this hate and violence then we are partially at fault.
Romans 8:26 gives these words of comfort. "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words."
My heart is crying out because I don't know what to pray, other than this: "Lord help us! We have forgotten how to love our neighbors as ourselves"
