As I mentioned last Tuesday, Grace Ann’s questions got a little tougher as our interview progressed. This question focused on current events – gun control – a very hot topic these days.
What is your opinion on school shootings and, in relation to that, the idea of banning guns? For example, the recent Arapahoe High School shooting, Sandy Hook that happened just over a year ago, any others.
Do you think the violence is getting worse?
How do you think we should stop it?
My opinion on school shootings is actually no different than my opinion on any other types of shootings going on in our world today. Shootings are shootings – workplace, school place, market place, home place. I think the real issue is not a ‘gun’ or ‘shooting’ issue at all – it’s a heart issue.
Man is evil. It started so long ago when Adam and Eve fell by eating that beautifully tempting fruit. From that point on, we have lived in a fallen state of creation. Hence, bad things are going to happen. Unless we have a change of heart, shootings are going to continue.
I do think violence is getting worse. Because what we allow to be seen, played, and heard in our homes continues to be more and more violent, we have desensitized ourselves to horrific scenes of violence and language. Add to that the beast that is social media, you can become famous in an instant, even if that fame is due to extreme evil. These people that commit these crimes, normally, are really seeking some sort of attention. I’m sure there are some instances that attention is not the motive, but I think a lot of times, it does play a huge part of these violent actions.
Growing up, my dad was not an outdoorsman. He was a musician and a preacher. He had one single shot shotgun that his dad gave him. Grandpa Ben had bought it at Sears 🙂 He kept it in the corner of his closet, and I NEVER saw him use it.
Me and Dad
Now let’s talk about Scott. Scott (my husband), as you know, is a huge outdoorsman and hunter. So of course, he is an advocate for the right we have to bear arms. He has several guns. He actually got me my very own shotgun for Mother’s Day a few years ago 🙂
Me and my shotgun 🙂
He has had guns in his home his entire life. He learned to shoot one at a very young age. He was taught how to properly use one, but more than that, he was taught how to respect one. He is now doing that same thing with me and our girls. And from what I have learned from him, the Bible, and my own observances of the news, guns don’t kill people. People kill people. If a gun is not readily available, a person will grab any type of instrument he or she can to inflict evil if that is indeed the goal. And we are back to my first statement – Man is evil. With that being said, gun control, in my opinion, is going to do nothing to help school shootings cease, or any shootings for that matter. The only thing gun control will do is incite the folks that do bear arms, and that, I do believe, could be very dangerous.
Scott hunting with Gabby
I know it sounds so cliche, but until we have a ‘change of heart’, which of course I believe can only happen through Jesus Christ, evil will continue – by rearing its ugly head in many ways, one of which just happens to be shootings.
So what can we do about this heart issue? How can we have a ‘change of heart’? How can we help others in our world have ‘heart surgery’? I think it first starts with having our own heart examined.
As Ezekiel 36:26 says (see above graphic), God said He will give us a new heart, a heart of flesh, to replace our heart of stone. God is the surgeon 🙂 We can’t change our hearts on our own. We just have to ask Him! This first step may be asking Him to come into your life for the very first time. If you have never asked Him into your life before, I pray that you seriously consider doing that today. It will be the most important and significant decision you will ever make.
But maybe you have already taken that step. Maybe you put your trust in the Lord a long time ago, but find that your heart has grown somewhat cold. Maybe that ‘heart of stone’ perfectly describes the current condition of your heart. If so, it’s time for some heart surgery.
It is so easy these days to get absolutely focused on our own lives and schedules that we neglect the people all around us that God has placed in our paths. We don’t ignore people intentionally (at least not all the time), but we just get self-focused trying to make it through the day. Sometimes, we just get so sick of hearing about people taking advantage of the good, charitable people and organizations in this world, we decide we don’t want to help anyone any more. But God hasn’t called us to that! He’s called us to love everyone, unconditionally. Love as He has loved us. We have got to be constantly aware of our surroundings to see where God is wanting us to share His love. The only way we can change the hearts of others in this world is to love them with a love only God can give. And we are the tools God has chosen to use! We are His surgical instruments!
To sum up, the only way to change someone’s heart is to love them with the same love that Christ has loved us. Let God use you to perform heart surgery today!
Tuesdays with Sarah 