I’m working through a new type of fear as I’m sure all of you are too in the wake of a weekend of two mass shootings. It’s a fear that makes you want to stay in your house, with the door locked. Has you second guess every concert you want to attend, movie you want to see and now going to the local Walmart for groceries. I find this phrase go through my mind over and over this past weekend, “What brings a person to do that?” I mean I don’t understand how someone can wake up and begin to plan a mass shooting. Can plan to take so many lives. I really don’t.
Heartbroken is too small of a word for what I feel for all the families and friends of these victims and those who witnessed the shootings. I think there are no words big enough for such horrifying events as every shooting that has taken place and it seems to get worse and worse. The “thank God its not me” approach is just not working because each time it seems to hit closer to home. The helpless attitude that is spreading throughout our country is growing and as my pastor said in prayer this Sunday our society has a ” heart condition that needs healing.” So today I’ve been mediating on this verse.
1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. NIV
Christians we are called to be salt and light. We can’t be paralyzed by this new fear or polarized by government propaganda. We can’t hate. We need to love each other and show love to each other. We need to commit to walk in love every day of our lives because we don’t know when and where were gonna meet someone who needs to feel love and right now there are more people in this country who need to feel it than who are carrying it.
So as we try to navigate this new kind of fear lets use it as jumping off point to be part of the solution and not the problem. Lets walk out of our houses everyday showing love to everyone you meet. Because this life is too short and too precious to waste on anger or hate. I know I need to live like this because then at least I don’t feel helpless and the fear doesn’t win. I’m motivated to do something more than hug my family tighter. I don’t want to live in a world of fear, lets start changing it together.
2BecomeBrave 