I was 9 years old when President Reagan was shot. At 13 the Challenger had a much bigger impact on a kid in the Young Astronauts Club. As a first year seminary student I watched the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombings. It wouldn’t be until September 11, 2001 that anything would surpass that.
These were national tragedies. Events that shaped history.
In the last 18 years there have been about 74 acts of terrorism on US soil. The vast majority of them committed by middle aged white men. There have been 307 mass shootings (a single incident in which four or more people, not including the shooter, are “shot and/or killed” at “the same general time and location.”) in the US in 2018 as of today. About two weeks ago there was a mass shooting/terrorist attack at a synagogue in Squirrel Hill outside of Pittsburgh- LITERALLY Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.
This is the new normal.
We practiced tornado and fire drills. My kids practice active shooter drills.
This is not me shaking my head and wondering what the world is coming to. This is not me clucking my tongue at the times. This is not me talking about how Jesus is coming back to fix it all.
This is me asking what you are going to do about it.
Salt and Light, remember. The agents of transformation. The Body of Christ at work in the world.
And what good is salt if its loss its saltiness?
Maybe there is a reason so many who claim to be Christians think they are being trampled on.
We are our brothers keepers. We are Christ on Earth. We hold the keys of the kingdom. What we bind on Earth is bound by Heaven. What we loose on Earth is loosed by Heaven.
Do not talk about your rights. Do not talk about your traditions. Do not talk about the complexities and hurdles and faults of others.
Everyone is looking for someone to blame.
To quote Jimmy Buffet: “I know it’s my own damn fault.”
And the Congregation said?