We are in Lent, a somber Lent because of the Florida school shooting. Here is a small portion of my message for this Sunday on The Lutheran Hour.
“Let’s get into this by thinking about all the mass shootings that have happened in recent years. Do you turn to religion for some kind of explanation about what’s going on? Jesus says, ‘Nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light’ (Mark 4:22). What was deep down in those gunmen came out in most terrible ways. They were fundamentally flawed men…. but you might disagree with what I’m going to say next.
“I am fundamentally flawed. You are fundamentally flawed. Think about the thoughts and feelings that are deep, deep down in your being. What are your secret thoughts about other people? What are your true feelings toward other people? Deep down do you have anger, lust, greed, resentment? Imagine if your deepest thoughts and feelings were revealed for all the world to know. How ashamed you and I would be! If my family and friends knew some of the things deep down in my being, I would be so ashamed, I would hightail it out of town never to be seen again. Wouldn’t you? In Mark 7:21-22, Jesus says, ‘Out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’ Sooner or later everything that is deep down within you will be revealed. Jesus promises, ‘Nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light.’”
Steps can indeed be taken to prevent these horrors, and one fundamental move would be for each of us individually and all of us as a nation to humble ourselves in fear of God. Without that, Lent will get ever darker.
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