From the article:
The scene unfolded on the eve of the Newtown massacre anniversary, a somber reminder of the ever-present potential for violence in the nation’s schools.
I disagree. We need a somber reminder of the ever-present potential for violence everywhere because we are not a peaceful culture. We are a culture of violence and until we admit this deep flaw, we will continue to wring our hands over gun control, prison sentences, etc.
Two big examples on where conversations go when it comes to our culture that show (for me) we’re a culture driven to division and violence rather than peace and reconciliation:
1. After yet another school shooting we will yet again have the very divisive shouting match over gun control. (Just look at the comments section of any school shooting article if you don’t think that’s true.) We will continue to NOT talk about mental health and creating healthy environments that lead to healthy thinking rather than violent outbursts.
2. Mention “immigration reform” and the biggest burst of shouting you get is something about building a better wall at the border to Mexico or shipping everyone “home.” We refuse to talk about healthy paths to actually welcoming people in, getting to know their situations, trying to understand what this broken system has handed us and how we can do better.
I could go on.
But the problem is not violence in our schools. It is violence in our souls. We are not at peace. We try to ignore the One who is the Prince of Peace… and we get violence. Even more troubling is watching believers who say they serve the Prince of Peace talk more of violence than peace.
My heart’s cry, for believers, is somehow we come to the realization that we are Christians who happen to be Americans rather than how we think now: we’re Americans who happen to be Christians.
It can start with us. We, as believers, could actually fall under the reign of the One who is the Prince of Peace. We could start there.
Apprentice 2 Jesus 