Ban guns, ban movies, ban video games, limit free speech, trample the Second Amendment…all of these and more have been the reaction of our politicians today in response to the horrific mass murder in a school in Connecticut. I am troubled because it seem as though NO ONE wants to get to the heart of the matter. One political persuasion believes the guns are the problem, the other I have heard blaming the violence in video games and movies. The solution, or so they say, is to limit the rights of American citizens. One group is “ok” with limiting the Second Amendment, the other advocates limiting the First Amendment.
While I do not believe that this will be widely read, nor appropriately heeded, someone needs to stand up and speak the truth! Neither of these approaches will do ANYTHING to stop the continuation of killing/violence in America. America does not have a gun problem, nor does she have a video game or movie problem. America has a spiritual problem! America has turned her back on God. The Bible clearly says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord;…” Ps. 33:12. I believe that verse also means the opposite is also true: Cursed is the nation whose god is anyone, or anything, but the Lord. Politicians will always see more government control as the solution; as they seek to get re-elected by making the public think they are trying to do “something”. And they call that leadership? Yet, the further we drift from God, the worse the social problems of our nation become.
The real solution isn’t to limit the rights of a free (or used to be) people. No one is talking about the heart of America, nor the hearts of people who commit these horrific crimes. I believe the only solution is for God’s people to stop sitting on the fence, and go out and try to make a difference in the lives of those He puts within his or her influence. If you are one those who have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, talk to your co-workers, neighbors, families, and friends about Jesus. Tell them that He loves them and that He died on the cross for them. Tell them that He stands ready to forgive anyone who repents and trust Him as Savior. Tell them what He has done in your life. Until America and Americans turn back to God, no legislation, no executive order, no task force, no high-level meeting, no political speech, will have any effect on the downgrade of society. If these politicians were really interested in something that would help, they would be encouraging people to repent, and return to, or start attending a Bible-believing church, and get their hearts right with the God. Until then, we will continue to mask the pain with “band-aid” solutions that will allow the real source of the problem to go uncorrected.
Pastor Koehler