Ten months ago, I wrote the following post after the Uvalde school shooting. This past week, a similar tragedy occurred in Nashville. The names and location are different, but I still believe this post contains the right prescription for us to effectively end school shootings:
More than just thoughts and prayers
Originally posted on May 26, 2022
This past week had yet another school shooting. In Uvalde, Texas, 19 students and 2 teachers died as the 18 year old gunman walked the halls of the school. But this event has brought greater feelings of anger and grief…this wasn’t a bullied teen who was out to get revenge on those who were tormenting him…instead he walked into an elementary school with the intention to do as much harm as possible. That’s sadistic. That’s appalling. That’s really difficult for us to process.
Unfortunately, the national conversation over the next two weeks will be largely predictable as everyone – whether directly impacted or distantly aware – wrestles with this event. There will be calls for legislation. There will be debate of individual’s rights. There will be questions about mental health care. Fear, anger, and hostility will characterize most discussions. Some will simply withdraw to avoid the tension. In the end, though, not much is likely to change on the national level.
Without a doubt, nothing can be said to comfort the grieving families that lost their children. And we know that. We often express our condolences, our grief, and our concern by posting on social media or telling the families that “our thoughts and prayers are with you”. But let’s be honest, shall we? Do our sad thoughts for the victims and their families really change anything? And what is the content of our prayers? Dear God, please stop school shootings from happening. Amen. What do we expect God to do with that? Do we ask Him to fix our nation, and then sit back and wait for some miracle to happen? Or hope for common sense and niceness to simply dawn on everyone?
If we want real, lasting change in society…it’s going to take some work. Fortunately, God provided us with an example in the life of a man named Nehemiah.
When family came to visit Nehemiah, he asked about his homeland:
Nehemiah 1:3-4
They said to me, “The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned.” When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of the heavens.
An ancient city with no walls had no protection, and its citizens would be in constant danger. They were easy pickings for raiders, armies, or anyone to take and kill as they pleased. Nehemiah mourned, fasted, and prayed – all natural, good responses – but he didn’t stop there. He took action.
Nehemiah obtained a leave of absence from his job and secured supplies to help rebuild the city. He traveled a great distance to his homeland, and he rallied people to the most important task at hand: rebuilding the city wall. However, you’ll find in the account that Nehemiah didn’t build the whole wall, and neither did his crew. What you’ll read in Nehemiah 3 is that multiple groups were responsible for building and/or repairing sections of the wall. Here’s a small example:
Nehemiah 3:3-4
The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate…Next to them Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, made repairs. Beside them Meshullam son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok son of Baana made repairs.
Next to them…beside them…Next to them…they all worked together, but they each focused on their specific section of the wall. When you read through the entire chapter, you find that people from all walks of life were doing the work: rich and poor, politicians, priests, goldsmiths, servants, even one district ruler was specifically called out because of how he and his daughters took care of their section.
Later on, when they were under deadly threat from surrounding opposition, Nehemiah organized the people into shifts of those who would continue to work on the wall and those who would stand ready at the walls most vulnerable places, to defend the city should their enemies attack. They took their turns, standing in the gaps, and they were able to rebuild the wall in 52 days.
The connection I’d like to make between people of Nehemiah’s day and how their actions can be applied to our current crisis is this: they worked to rebuild their part, and they stood in the gaps when called upon.
No new law will change the reason why Salvador Ramos picked up a gun. Our sad thoughts and trite prayers after the fact aren’t going to make any lasting change. If we’re going to see change, we the people will have to get involved in the lives of children before they reach the point that they reach for a weapon.
There are so many gaps in society. So many places for people to fall through the cracks and be forgotten or ignored. If we try to take in the enormity of it, we are quickly overwhelmed. However, just like we saw in Nehemiah’s example, we don’t have to fill all the gaps on our own. But it’s time we each took our shift.
Find a local ministry or program and volunteer at it. Homeless shelter, YMCA, or an after-school program…find the children and befriend them. They need to be seen, cared for, and listened to.
If you still need suggestions, here are a few I would personally recommend. If these are local to you, please find a way to get involved. If they are not local, find something similar that is nearby. These are various-sized programs, each with impact in different portions of society:
Chestnut Mountain Ranch – Providing a Christ-centered home and school for at-risk boys, their aim is to restore broken families, giving these young men hope and a future.
Libera, Inc – They support women and teens through listening groups, love packs for foster kids, student body safety assemblies, and counseling services.
Family Room – They provide support for foster families with clothing, bedding, toys, games, and supplies for foster kids at no cost
Established Family Recovery Ministries, Inc – When an addict enters rehab, they provide support and resources to the family through mentorship, financial assistance, and addressing practical needs.
Feeding Lisa’s Kids – Once a month, they provide food for families with children who are facing food insecurity.
There are lots of gaps. Don’t wait for the government to pass a law to fix it. Don’t complain on social media and do nothing in the real world. We need to properly grieve the Uvalde tragedy, so mourn, fast, and pray as you need to…but don’t stop there. It’s time for you and me to take action.
Keep Pressing,
Ken