Reflections on the Florida Shooting

I remember the day the nation stood still when shots were reported at a school in the sleepy little town of Columbine, CO. Since that fateful day in 1999, it seems that mass shootings have become almost expected in our country. It's not a matter of whether or not one will happen again; it's only a matter of time. Last week's shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida is simply the latest in a string of violent shootings in less than two decades. Less than two years ago, President Obama relayed his frustration about this fact after the shooting in Roseburg, Oregon, stating, "Somehow this has become routine...we've become numb to this." As we once again shake our heads in unbelief at the reality of such a heinous act and mourn the loss of innocent victims, what can followers of Jesus Christ learn from yet another brutal display of violence? Are we willing to settle for this as "routine?" Have we, too, "become numb to this?" Some will jump on the bandwagon of banning firearms as a response. I'm not going to venture an opinion on that; perhaps something practical needs to be done at some level. But is that all we can learn: 'people shoot others because they have access to guns, so let's get rid of the guns,' or can we learn something more from this incident and the list of other tragedies preceding it?

I believe that there is a lesson here, screaming out to all those who would have ears to hear, and it is this: the reason these mass killings are becoming commonplace in our culture is because the philosophical agenda which has been peddled and gobbled up by America at large is producing them. And what agenda is that? Romans 1:25 calls it "the lie." It is the lie which has replaced the truth of God and seeks to worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator. When sinful man suppresses the truth of God which has been clearly revealed to Him in creation and conscience and throws off all restraint of morality in order to indulge his passionate lusts; when he believes the theory that man is nothing more than a higher order of animal who is expressing his primal instincts as he lives out an existence which has no real meaning or value; when the existence of an ultimate Lawgiver and Judge is denied so that there are no eternal consequences for one's actions, what do we expect will result?

Secular culture will once again believe the lie that mankind is basically good and still progressing toward greater heights of intellectual and moral virtue. It will once again cast the shooter as someone who simply suffered from some sort of mental illness. It will seek to 'solve the problem' with more legislation and regulations. But as Christians, what we can learn from this tragedy is the truth that we already know afresh: that "there is none righteous, not even one" (Rom 3:10), that mankind is not progressing toward utopia; he is the same as he has been since the Fall, which was shortly followed by the first murder (Gen 4). We can once again be reminded of the truth that Satan is "a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him" (John 8:44). We can once again learn that the natural man is dead in his trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1) and that his mind is blinded by "the god of this world." In short, we can learn again how much this world needs to see "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." People need truth and light; people need Christ! And we have that truth; we have that light; we know Jesus Christ and we have a message of hope that, by the power of God can shine through the darkness and bring hope and healing and a real solution to the real problem which is the fallen human condition! May this horrific event be a sober reminder to us, and may we learn this lesson anew. As we pray for healing and comfort for those who have lost loved ones in this senseless act, may we also be stirred up to speak the gospel to our friends and family and neighbors.

Be Quiet

In his excellent book, God in the Whirlwind, David Wells warns that:

“If we are not self-directed, we will be tumbled along by our culture. And that is when we will lose our ability to reflect on the deeper issues of life. Without this ability to stop, to focus, to linger, to reflect, to analyze, and to evaluate, we begin to lose touch with the God who has called us to know him”

I can't think of a better way to describe this unique challenge for 21st century American Christians. It seems as though a big part of the fabric of our culture is to be busy, busy, busy. And this is not just for those of us who are dealing with jobs, bills, and car seats, but it affects students as well. Teenagers often get a bad rap in our society as lazy, video game loving, do-nothings (much of which is deserved), but this stereotype overlooks the fact that the average teen is really quite busy with productive activities like school, homework, sports, clubs, chores, jobs, and social activities. And of course, don't forget the nagging pull of social media, TV, and a hundred and one other forms of technological gadgetry. Now, for a Christian student, add to all this the endless list of church services, Bible studies, and youth activities, and you start to get the idea of what we're talking about.

What students (and all of us, for that matter) need on a regular basis is some time "to stop, to focus, to linger, to reflect, to analyze, and to evaluate" and of course, all of this is to be done in light of God's word and through prayer. What we need is what many of us like to call "quiet time" when all distractions are laid aside, our Bibles are open, and our minds are clear to focus upon communing with the Lord. But as Wells notes, this does not just happen; it takes self-direction. And in my many years as a youth pastor, this is always the sticking point. I often feel like a cowboy with a cattle prod, looking for fresh new ways to motivate students to have their "quiet time." As I have "prodded" the students who sit across from me, I have recognized more and more my own wrong thinking about quiet time which has led me to develop some insights into some of the challenges that face all of us in this regard, along with some (hopefully) helpful tips for how to have a regular, meaningful part of the day to "be quiet."

Growing up in the desert I saw a lot of tumbleweeds, so I get a familiar visual when David Wells uses the term "tumble." In the same way tumbleweeds are blown whichever way the wind carries them, we 21st century American Christians are led about from one distraction to another...unless we're "self-directed," which a nice way of saying "self-disciplined." In other words, if you don't discipline yourself, you're at the mercy of life's distractions, and therefore the chances that you'll have a consistent quiet time (or even one at all) are pretty slim.

Wells is on to something here that is biblical. In fact, it's exactly what Paul told young Timothy:

"discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness" (NASB). That word "discipline" or "train" (ESV) is where we get our English word gymnasium. It was a term used of athletes and it meant to run or train unhindered. Just as sports are popular in our day, the Greek games were a hit in Paul's, and so he used athletic terminology to illustrate aspects of the Christian life. Several times he spoke of the Christian life as a race, and here he tells Timothy (and us by implication) that if we're going to grow in Christ-likeness, it is going to take some spiritual sweat! We all understand how hard professional athletes work. They train relentlessly to be the best they can be, and this obviously takes discipline. They have rigorous routines which demand focus and sacrifice. This is the picture Paul is painting for us when it comes to the Christian life. He's saying, "give it all you've got in order to be more like Christ!" If we were honest, the fact of the matter is that we typically give it our leftovers - after the distractions of life have drained us dry.

So what is the first step in having a consistent and productive quiet time? Get disciplined! Yes, it's really that simple. Set a time. Set a place. And then discipline yourself to make it happen. Of course, there's more to it than that. But it's the place to start.