Random Thoughts for May 31, 2023

Memorial Day 2023

I’m writing this a couple of days after Memorial Day 2023 and as always, I thank God for those who served and died for the United States of America. I have a lot of family members who served in the various branches of our military and quite a few of them served in or near areas of conflict. Fortunately, they all made it back alive but many of their fellow soldiers did not.

This Memorial Day I want to thank all of the Gold Star Families out there for their sacrifice on behalf of our nation. I wish I could thank each of you face to face and give you a big hug. Above all I want you all to know that you are not forgotten.

If you don’t know about our Gold Star Families, please read What is a Gold Star Family? on the USO website.

Uvalde, Texas: One year later

It has been a year since a teenager walked into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas and killed 19 children and two teachers. 17 other people were injured that day and as mentioned in numerous news stories this month, many questions remain unanswered. While listening to NPR on May 24th I heard interviews with some of the parents of Uvalde as they shared stories of the children they lost. Each story served as a reminder that we lost 21 people that day and that we also lost their dreams and so much more. I heard the pain that is still there as these parents continue (I hope) to heal and as they ask if there is something that can be done to prevent the next school shooting. I also heard a reminder that there is a problem and I fear that in our current political and spiritual climate, we might not be willing to reach for the right solutions.

I do believe that we have a gun problem. We also have a mental health problem. We have a problem of people turning a blind eye, not wanting to look at the signs within their loved ones that they need help. We have a problem because our family units are quite often broken. We have a problem because we have lost our coping mechanisms. We have a problem because (in my opinion) our anti bullying programs seem to fail the very vulnerable populations that they claim to want to protect. But most of all we have a spiritual problem that leaves people feeling empty and hopeless, and (again in my opinion) the blame for that just might fall at the foot of the church.

I suspect there are many of you who disagree with that last sentence and that’s fine. I just ask one thing of you, especially if you are a Christian. Please pray! Seek God and ask His opinion. Let Him guide your heart in how we as the body of Christ should respond to the problem of gun violence in our nation. After all, the church should definitely be about protecting the lives of people in our country.