This was written by someone who goes to my church. He is a college freshman. He quotes scripture in what he has to say, so, I would kindly ask that you save any ungodly comments or sarcasm for another place and time. Thank you.
My thoughts on Las Vegas:
Fellow Americans,
When I woke, this morning, I did not expect to view my phone and see hundreds of notifications addressing a horrific act of terror in Las Vegas, just the previous night, nor did, I think, any of us. After all, it?s the shock and awe effect of tragedy that gives it its name. Without the surprise, we would have time to prepare for what was ahead, instead of being forced to react to the moment. Since I have had the better portion of the day to ponder the events that took place, in Nevada?s most prized city, I have been reminded of some truths, truths which are sometimes best brought out in the face of awful calamity, and truths I would like to now share with you.
The first is that of comfort. Undeniably, we can and should have political discourse on the future of second amendment rights, but we will have much time to discuss that, while we will not have long to unite and comfort one another. Now is the time to weep and mourn for and with our fellow countrymen. Now is the time for us to show love and comfort to our neighbors. To those directly impacted by this despicable act, I am deeply sorry. I won?t pretend to sympathize with you, because I simply do not know the immense grief you must be feeling. However, I think I speak for all of us, tonight, when I say that our thoughts and prayers go with you. The God I serve is willing and able to provide you the comfort I?m sure you desperately need. If you do not know Him, tonight, call out and He will answer. If you do know Him, please do the same. Know that His promise rings true louder now, more than ever, ?I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.?
The second truth is that man is entirely fleshly and depraved. It?s easy to talk of horrific acts as if they are unnatural or peculiar, but the truth is that, if not for the grace of God, each of us is disgusting and vile, void of any sense of moral good and no better than this perpetrator. In the book of Psalms, when King David pours out his heart in repentance to God, he aptly describes the human condition in the 5th verse, when he says, ?verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah?, Selah meaning, ?it is settled? or ?the matter is closed?. Simply put, man is not good, but rather naturally evil. We are each of our father, Satan, from whom all evil flows. When we attempt to understand how someone could commit these kind of terrible acts, we must recognize that man?s economy, his makeup, so to speak, has wired him this way. His fleshly state longs for the vile, and he must train himself, with the Spirit of God, to put off the deeds of the flesh. So, in understanding these events, we must stop and ponder. Each of us is entirely capable of the same evil. As my father has always put it, ?We don?t sin because we?re trained to. We sin because it?s who we are.? Thus, it is our responsibility to recognize our heart?s condition and be circumspect in our actions and dealings. As Scripture says, ?Wherefore, let he that thinketh he standeth, take heed, lest he fall.?
Finally, tragedies such as this are a wakeup call to each of us regarding the brevity of life. In James, we find the humble reminder of how temporal this present world is. He states, in chapter 3, ?you know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that.? Sometimes, it is imperative for us all to be reminded of how quickly our flame can burn out. We could be at a game, the store, or a concert. We could be driving to work or walking on campus. No man knows his day or his hour. Best to be ready for when that time comes, because, when it does, we will face our Creator and give an account for the time granted us and how it was spent. The healthy fear of death should drive each of us to action, consciously and joyfully serving our Lord, until he calls us to be with Him.
So, let?s not forget this feeling. Let?s unite and change. Let?s show kindness and love where maybe we wouldn?t have before, and make a
lasting difference in our world.
Sincerely,
A fellow Patriot, American, and Follower of Christ
My thoughts on Las Vegas:
Fellow Americans,
When I woke, this morning, I did not expect to view my phone and see hundreds of notifications addressing a horrific act of terror in Las Vegas, just the previous night, nor did, I think, any of us. After all, it?s the shock and awe effect of tragedy that gives it its name. Without the surprise, we would have time to prepare for what was ahead, instead of being forced to react to the moment. Since I have had the better portion of the day to ponder the events that took place, in Nevada?s most prized city, I have been reminded of some truths, truths which are sometimes best brought out in the face of awful calamity, and truths I would like to now share with you.
The first is that of comfort. Undeniably, we can and should have political discourse on the future of second amendment rights, but we will have much time to discuss that, while we will not have long to unite and comfort one another. Now is the time to weep and mourn for and with our fellow countrymen. Now is the time for us to show love and comfort to our neighbors. To those directly impacted by this despicable act, I am deeply sorry. I won?t pretend to sympathize with you, because I simply do not know the immense grief you must be feeling. However, I think I speak for all of us, tonight, when I say that our thoughts and prayers go with you. The God I serve is willing and able to provide you the comfort I?m sure you desperately need. If you do not know Him, tonight, call out and He will answer. If you do know Him, please do the same. Know that His promise rings true louder now, more than ever, ?I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.?
The second truth is that man is entirely fleshly and depraved. It?s easy to talk of horrific acts as if they are unnatural or peculiar, but the truth is that, if not for the grace of God, each of us is disgusting and vile, void of any sense of moral good and no better than this perpetrator. In the book of Psalms, when King David pours out his heart in repentance to God, he aptly describes the human condition in the 5th verse, when he says, ?verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah?, Selah meaning, ?it is settled? or ?the matter is closed?. Simply put, man is not good, but rather naturally evil. We are each of our father, Satan, from whom all evil flows. When we attempt to understand how someone could commit these kind of terrible acts, we must recognize that man?s economy, his makeup, so to speak, has wired him this way. His fleshly state longs for the vile, and he must train himself, with the Spirit of God, to put off the deeds of the flesh. So, in understanding these events, we must stop and ponder. Each of us is entirely capable of the same evil. As my father has always put it, ?We don?t sin because we?re trained to. We sin because it?s who we are.? Thus, it is our responsibility to recognize our heart?s condition and be circumspect in our actions and dealings. As Scripture says, ?Wherefore, let he that thinketh he standeth, take heed, lest he fall.?
Finally, tragedies such as this are a wakeup call to each of us regarding the brevity of life. In James, we find the humble reminder of how temporal this present world is. He states, in chapter 3, ?you know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that.? Sometimes, it is imperative for us all to be reminded of how quickly our flame can burn out. We could be at a game, the store, or a concert. We could be driving to work or walking on campus. No man knows his day or his hour. Best to be ready for when that time comes, because, when it does, we will face our Creator and give an account for the time granted us and how it was spent. The healthy fear of death should drive each of us to action, consciously and joyfully serving our Lord, until he calls us to be with Him.
So, let?s not forget this feeling. Let?s unite and change. Let?s show kindness and love where maybe we wouldn?t have before, and make a
lasting difference in our world.
Sincerely,
A fellow Patriot, American, and Follower of Christ
