February 14th, 2018. Valentine’s Day for all. Ash Wednesday for some. Life-altering tragedy for a few.
Yesterday, 17 people lost their lives to a 19 year-old gunman with history of mental health issues at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Mostly students, the victims are the latest in a wave of public shooting massacres sweeping our nation. Douglas, as it’s known, is located between the high school my husband attended and my own. We know people who went there. For us, it’s close to home.
But here’s the thing. When I first heard the news, I wasn’t shocked. I was barely shaken, to be honest. Instead, I felt hopeless and frankly, annoyed. Also, angry. I know that’s blunt, but it’s the truth. The fact of the matter is, America just can’t get this right.
So I helped my girls with their homework, then we went for a quick dinner before our church’s Ash Wednesday service began. During the meditation, a strange alarm sounded somewhere in the sanctuary. And I remember thinking what does that mean? And what would we do if an intruder opened fire here, in this sacred space where sinners were gathered to begin a 40-day journey to the heart of our faith. We’d be helpless. We would lose people we love. Maybe even our own lives. We would be forever altered, too.
Then, this morning, I sat down to do my Lenten devotional. Last year, I started a tradition with some of my friends of really going deep during this season. Using She ReadsTruth, we dive into a study that always leaves us changed. Today, one of the ancillary passages was Joshua 5:13-15:
13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” 14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lorda]”>[a] have for his servant?” 15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
This passage, and not the news yesterday, is what moved me.
My guess is most of what you’re seeing today is essays and speeches and lengthy FB posts on one side about how it’s time for sensible gun laws, and on the other side about how it’s time to focus on our families and our faith and our mental health.
But this passage tells us something we need to hear. When asked which side God is on, the answer is clear. Neither. But nonetheless, he sent a representative to fight. In this, He acknowledges the battle. There is work to be done and He knows it. What’s more, in the notes in my Bible, it mentions that, in sending their commander, God’s army was committed to the battle.
So what does that commitment mean for the massacre in Florida and its aftermath? To me, it means God is pro gun sense. And God is pro family. And I think it goes without saying that God is pro faith. But He’s also pro mental health. He’s committed to the battle, but his side is neither. His side is peace, his side is wholeness, his side is love.
Today, many of you are probably ready to dig in your heels about the direction our country needs to take. And here’s the thing. I think you’re all right. We need all the arguments you care to muster. Clearly, this is not a one answer problem.
I think of our country as a big old pot of stew. We’ve thrown in some poor gun legislation, absolutely. But we’ve also tossed in some unrealistic expectations for what it means to succeed in life and passed it on to our children. Then we mixed in an avoidance of mental health issues for way too long. Boy, have we let that simmer. And we seasoned it all with a 24-hour news cycle that definitely hasn’t helped. And the stew? It’s boiling over. After all, we’re Americans. We go big all.the.time.
So here’s what I propose. Rather than digging in your heels on your side of the line, and shaking your fist at the other side, do something about it. What does that look like?
Are you upset about gun laws in this country and the lack of legislation you believe would prevent these tragedies? Cool. Learn more about what you can do to help. Join an organization like Moms Demand Action and lobby your local representatives for change. Better yet, run for office.
Do you think we need to put less pressure on our children to succeed academically and focus more on their overall well-being? Great! What about volunteering at a local organization that works with troubled youth or getting involved in your local school system to promote change?
Is a focus on family and faith your answer? Fantastic. Plan a monthly get together with other neighborhood families and discuss how you can be there for one another. Join or form a committee at your place of worship that’s focused on youth and family outreach.
Don’t miss this. When the messenger told Joshua he wasn’t necessarily on one side or the other, he wasn’t dismissing the battle. There was a battle to be fought, and he was committed to the cause. This is indeed a battle. And it’s up to each one of us to join forces and make a difference.
Soup’s on, America. We all know it’s high time we change the recipe.
Her Own Two Feet 