Some thoughts on recent current events:
Umpqua Community College Shootings
Much has been said about this tragedy. I was struck by President Obama's obvious frustration when he spoke publicly just a few hours after the shootings, in regards to finding a solution to yet another mass killing.
The 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Bill of Rights includes the 'right to bear arms.' The 2nd Amendment became part of the Constitution in 1791. That was less than 20 years after the Revolutionary War. The concern over the 'right to bear arms' was borne during this nation's infancy and was directly related to the grassroots effort that fueled the birth of the United States.
While the widespread 'right to bear arms' among ordinary citizens may have been necessary in 1791 to protect our fledgling nation, that is no longer the case. We have several branches of the armed forces, and the Department of Defense receives one of the highest portions of our entire national budget. Thankfully, we no longer need individual citizens stocking up firearms to protect our country.
The mother of the person who killed 10 students at Umpqua Community College was fully aware of the mental-emotional status of her suffering son. It has been widely reported that she also encouraged his interest in guns, and kept several loaded weapons in their home. Including an AK-47 and AR-15. These are semi-automatic rifles. She also kept a Glock handgun.
No family needs such a stockpile of weapons, and certainly no one needs to be holding an AK-47 or AR-15 in their home. It's pointless to argue the need for these sorts of weapons in the hands of ordinary citizens.They are accidents waiting to happen. Take a look at the occurrence of death by gun in other countries and the percentage of gun ownership among citizens and you'll quickly see that the United States is towards the top of the list in both categories.
My heart goes out to the family members of the slain students. My heart goes out to the Umpqua Community College family as well. They have suffered a loss that will affect them for the rest of their lives. They and the other victims of mass shootings deserve a better response than platitudes extolling the right to bear arms.
The Bombing of a Hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan
Last week a U.S. air strike knocked out a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. 22 people were killed in the airstrike.
The U.S. military has been reluctant to say much about it. Or to formally apologize. The U.S. Military Commander in Afghanistan initially said that it was the Afghans who asked for the airstrike. Three days later the same Military Commander admitted the strike could have been the result of faulty communication among the chain of command. Meanwhile Doctors Without Borders has repeatedly stated that there was no reason for the attack and they have called for an investigation. There were no significant military operations happening near the hospital. More than three days after the airstrike, President Obama called the chief of Doctors Without Borders to apologize. Although the President promised a thorough investigation, to be held by US affiliated/supported organizations. Doctors Without Borders is calling for an independent inquiry.
The irony of this situation is that functioning hospitals in Afghanistan are few and far between. The Afghans are already seriously deprived after years of war. They don't need their remaining hospitals taken out.
Syrian Refugee Crisis
I recently wrote a post about the Syrian refugee crisis. A few days ago one of the candidates for U.S. President stopped in my home town and gave a speech. During the speech he said it would be "crazy" for the U.S. to bring in more Syrian refugees. (Our country has taken in about 1,500 people, and President Obama is calling to bring in up to 10,000 more).
The candidate said: "What President Obama is proposing to do, bring tens of thousands of Syrian Muslims to America, is nothing short of crazy." The candidate made this statement, despite the U.S. National Intelligence Director saying that the U.S. had an "aggressive" program for vetting refugees.
This presidential candidate didn't speak about the fact that a good portion of the most recent Syrian refugees are well-educated and held professional jobs until their cities were mostly destroyed. The point being, Syrian refugees are leaving their country because there is no support system left. They are desperate to get to Western Europe and America because they no longer have homes.
Their lives are in ruins. They need our active compassion and support, not judgment. If we need a spiritual standard for how to handle this sort of situation, I'm reminded of what Jesus said about taking in strangers among us.
I'm also reminded that historically, almost all of us living in the United States, with the notable exception of Native Americans, come from families who were once immigrants. We are a nation of immigrants.
So, where is God in all this?
One lesson we can hopefully learn from these events is that no nation is perfect.
No nation is correct 100% of the time.
If we catch ourselves feeling reluctant to admit our mistakes, that's a sure sign that we are headed in the wrong direction.
The Bible teaches that when we make a mistake, it's a good idea to admit it. In fact, true healing doesn't happen without confessing, either as individuals, or as a nation. Repentance can't happen without admitting we did something wrong. It's really that simple. I'll be the first to say that I don't especially enjoy admitting I'm wrong, or that I've sinned. But when I take that first step towards repentance, I've found that God is always there to offer forgiveness and restoration.
It's not a popular teaching, but it's what God wants for us in order to grow in relationship with each other and with God.
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