Today’s devotional deals with a sensitive subject and people are very divided on the issue. The topic is one that is debated with boisterous proclamations and debates on both sides of the aisle. It involves school shootings and gun violence.
On this day in 1998, “Mitchell Johnson, 13, and Andrew Golden, 11, shoot their classmates and teachers in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Golden, the younger of the two boys, asked to be excused from his class, pulled a fire alarm and then ran to join Johnson in a wooded area 100 yards away from the school’s gym. As the students streamed out of the building, Johnson and Golden opened fire and killed four students and a teacher. Ten other children were wounded.”1
Politicians and activists love to pound the pulpit on this topic, declaring that guns are the enemy. If we would only ban guns or severely restrict them, none of this would happen. They seem to forget that this isn’t a new problem.
“The earliest known United States shooting to happen on school property was the Pontiac’s Rebellion school massacre on July 26, 1764, where four Lenape American Indian entered the schoolhouse near present-day Greencastle, Pennsylvania, shot and killed schoolmaster Enoch Brown, and killed nine or ten children (reports vary). Only two children survived.”2 This happened in the era when guns were as customary and prevalent in a home as dishes were in the cupboards.
Several school shootings took place in the 1800s. “The first known mass shooting in the U.S. where students were shot, was on April 9, 1891, when 70 year old, James Foster fired a shotgun at a group of students in the playground of St. Mary’s Parochial School, Newburgh, New York, causing minor injuries to several of the students. The majority of attacks during this time period by students on other students or teacher, usually involved stabbing with knives, or hitting with stones.”3 This just goes to show you that if you banned all the guns, those who want to be violent are simply going to find another way. I don’t think you can ban stones!
The 1900s-present saw a slow and steady increase in incidents as well as casualties. You have to also consider that there has been quite an increase in population. The past 25 years have recorded 642 deaths by shooting in the schools. 2022 was the worst year with 49 fatalities. The top three incidents were at Virginia Tech (2007; 33 dead), Sandy Hook (2012; 28 dead) and Robb Elementary School (2022; 22 dead).
Why has this happened? Why are people shooting each other? WHY?
I will agree with everyone that these school shootings are tragic beyond words and explanation. It should grieve any human to see such atrocities committed. The activists, though, will blame the guns. That is completely wrong!
My wife and I grew up around guns, especially my wife. Her dad hunted and had guns everywhere. He was a collector, keeping them for investment purposes. Some were in mint condition, but most had been fired. Guns were constantly out in plain view.
My dad didn’t hunt anything except rodents and the occasional sick ‘coon or opossum that wondered in the yard. The guns were not locked up. They were in the closets, and the ammo was right there. You were taught early in life how to handle guns and to treat them with respect. There was never one time in my life or in my wife’s life where we wondered if our dads were going to shoot someone. It never crossed our minds, either.
Shooting people is wrong. God calls it sin. The simplicity of Exodus 20:13 is easy to grasp. “Thou shalt not kill.” So, there must be another reason why people are growing angrier, more violent, and resorting to shooting up the place.
The passage is lengthy but it explains it all! Romans 1:18-32 says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (19) Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. (20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (21) Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (22) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (23) And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. (24) Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: (25) Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (26) For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: (27) And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. (28) And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; (29) Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, (30) Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (31) Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: (32) Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
There’s the answer that politicians and activists don’t want to acknowledge. Everyone of these killers has a heart issue. Ban guns? That doesn’t fix their heart and they will just find some other way to carry out their evil.
Instead of banning guns, why not lift the ban on Jesus and the Bible in the public school setting? Why not stop all the sporting events and concerts on Wednesday nights and Sundays and encourage people to get in church? Why not incentivize the dads and moms to be involved in their local church by closing down all the distractions? Why not stop stuffing pills down the throats of our children and help them deal with their issues Biblically?
Most importantly, the church needs to get out into this world and evangelize the lost. We need to scoop up these kids for Sunday School and Wednesday night programs, getting them into church and under the tutelage of the Gospel and the Bible.
Our world needs a heart change and only God can accomplish it! Romans 10:9 reminds us, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
1https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-24/a-school-shooting-in-jonesboro-arkansas-kills-five
2https://www.k12academics.com/school-shootings/history-school-shootings-united-states
3Ibid.
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