Sanity.
The condition of quality of being sane.
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In the last six months we've seen multiple mass shootings. We were appalled by the attack on innocent moviegoers in Aurora, Colo., in July, horrified that such a violent, evil act would occur in a place of entertainment. The school shooting today in Newton, Conn., is even more traumatic to the mind and soul.
It seems as though the world around us is going INSANE... deranged minds, faulty reasoning, poor judgment, and an ever-increasing lack of common sense inundate the media and even our own day-to-day experiences. This tendency toward insanity isn't limited to any particular demographic, either. No one is immune. We've got retirees arrested for terrorist plots, college kids committing mass shootings, women killing their own children, teenagers murdering children, and more.
And when these atrocities occur, everyone asks "why?"
There's no simple answer. Nor is there a quick and easy knee-jerk response.
The Apostle Paul may have put it best in his second letter to Timothy,
"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power..." 2 Tim 3:1-5 ESVThat about sums it up, doesn't it? How, then, are we to respond?
Shall we run out, buy handguns, and get concealed-carry permits so we can start "packing" whenever we head out to the store or the movie or the workplace? (Sorry, I'm a gun owner myself, but I have trouble with the idea that we're all gonna turn into Milla Jovanovich from Resident Evil if somebody whips out a semi-automatic in a public place, no matter how many hours we've spent at the shooting range.)
Shall we start testing our toddlers for signs of future psychosis and drugging them in advance? Making sure any angry, dissatisfied child will never become a threat to society? Or, better yet, subject EVERYONE to mental health exams and tests (in a field that changes from day to day) in the hopes of weeding out those who might slip over the edge and cause harm to others?
Obviously, those are knee-jerk reactions, born from emotions and our desperation to maintain some sense of security in our lives. Are those notions logical, rational, sane? No.
And that's the trouble. According to Newton's law, every action produces an equal and opposite reaction. But in the case of insane human behavior, we can't allow ourselves to yield to Newton's law. The automatic, emotional response to the acts of insanity that take place in the world around us are based in fear, shock, horror, and dismay; not reason, sound judgment, good sense, or a state of calm, clear, mental health.
Each time we face one of these horrible events in our nation, or in our world, we must remember, one act of insanity cannot be balanced by an equal and opposite act of insanity... Step back, pray, seek God's ways and His will, and above all, don't react out of fear, because then you lose your power to respond in faith, to respond with a rational voice, to step outside ourselves and our desire to protect and defend our own in order to determine the necessary actions for the greater good.
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Thank you for the visit.
ReplyDeleteI think parent should get involved in their children's lives. Seeing children as humans and treat them as that from the moment they are laid in their hands. Not empty vessels that must be put some place occupied so the parent can have fun or 'down time'. But look and listen and be.
The other day I heard of a stay at home mom of 4 months, one weekend the mother in law 'had the baby' the following weekend her sister. Why? SHE HAS A WEEKEND OFF That one I am still trying to understand. I was wondering where the child can go to when HE has an off weekend.
I completely agree, Retha.
ReplyDeleteSchool shootings hit me at the core. Can't tell you exactly why, but they do. And it's easy to be as irrational as he was. Thanks for the reminder not to do that. AND for this post.
ReplyDeleteI think it's because school is supposed to be a safe place, that's why it seems so horrific. And because it's children involved. Ugh. And then I think about the young man who did this and realize he wasn't much more than a child himself. It makes it hard not to be reactionary no matter how you look at it.
ReplyDeleteExactly. And that school could have been my kids' school. Or a school I taught at.
ReplyDeleteTwenty years old. You're right - not much more than a child. Breaks my heart. I think it will be hard for a lot of moms to send their kids to school tomorrow - and not just in Connecticut.