Again: More than just thoughts and prayers

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

More than just thoughts and prayers

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

Worth the effort

We usually have a rather negative understanding of the words “struggle” and “striving”.  Maybe it’s because of our risk-adverse mentality…we don’t like pain, so we want to avoid difficult situations.  Maybe it’s because of our egos…we don’t want to appear inadequate, so we skip out on anything hard.

Whatever our reasons may be – when we think about struggling, it’s assumed to be a bad thing.

Paul did not hold to this kind of thinking, at least not with his mission from God.  Paul’s goal wasn’t just to get people “saved” and then move on to the next group of people.  Instead, look at who Paul was willing to struggle and labor for:

Colossians 1:28-2:1

We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.  I labor for this, striving with His strength that works powerfully in me.  For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me in person.

He desired that everyone who believes on Jesus would become mature in Christ.  In Paul’s mind, if people are important enough for Jesus to die for, then they are important enough for Paul to labor, strive, and struggle for.  He is not just being twisted up in anguish, wishing the people of the world would just get better.  Instead, Paul takes specific actions – to proclaim Jesus, and then both warn and teach everyone who will listen.

Paul proclaimed the good news of the gospel wherever he traveled.  After someone would believe on Jesus for eternal life, Paul would then give them their next steps – providing both cautions and encouragements for how to live their new life in Christ.  However, these steps aren’t always easy to communicate, and many times these messages are hard to receive.  Making sure we give clear instruction and guidance, as well as being sure that the message is correctly understood, can take great effort on our part.  Paul was up front when he said that these actions were a labor for him. 

However, did you notice how Paul was able to press on in this important task?  As Paul labored and struggled in maturing others, he didn’t do this out of his own bull-headed effort.  Instead, he trusted that Jesus would provide His strength and that strength would work powerfully through him.  Paul knew that since God had given him this mission to develop and mature others, then God would provide him with the means and the strength to get through the struggles that would come.

Are there people in our lives that are worth the effort to strive and labor for their maturity?  You bet there are.  But we can’t just sit around and wish that they would mature or that someone else will help them along.  We need to be the ones to proclaim Jesus, and then be willing to both warn and teach those whom God has placed in our path.

Keep Pressing,
Ken 

Remembering where we came from

“Don’t forget where you came from”

We’re all familiar with the intention of this phrase.  Whenever someone moves on to something bigger than their previous circumstances, this piece of advice usually finds its way to them.  We want the recipient to keep his or her new life in a certain perspective, to remember the lessons (and a few of the people) that brought them to this new phase in life.

Similarly, we can find this same advice scattered throughout the Bible, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.  However, instead of wanting us to pull specific lessons from our past to guide us through our future circumstances, each author wants his readers to find value in remembering who we were before God met with us.

Paul brings up the idea of remembering our lives before meeting Christ in his letter to the believers in Colossae.  Although he had never personally met them, he knew their pre-Christ story – because we all start from the same place.  We all start out separated from God.  Speaking about Christ, Paul wrote:

Colossians 1:19-22
For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,
and through Him to reconcile everything to Himself
by making peace through the blood of His cross –
whether things on earth or things in heaven.

And you were once alienated and hostile in mind because of your evil actions.  But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him

Did you see where we were before God took action?

We were alienated.  We were unable to participate in a relationship with the One who created us.  The Greek word for alienated means to be shut out from one’s fellowship and intimacy – a perfect description of how separated we were from God. 

We were estranged from God, but don’t think for one moment that we were the victim in the relationship.  For not only were we alienated, but we were also hostile in mind.  We were enemies toward God in our thoughts and feelings; we were angry with Him.  We resisted His overtures.  We argued.  We sought to bring God down to our level and our definition of what a relationship with Him would look like.  We accused Him of expecting too much, that His standard of perfection was unrealistic.

But was it God’s fault that the relationship was broken?
Were we justified in our hostile attitude?

Paul gives the reason for our alienation and our hostility – it was because of your evil actions.  Our own rebellion and our rejection of God is what lead to our separation from the One who created us and gave us our purpose.  We did this to ourselves, with no recourse to make amends.

It is while we were still in our rebellious, alienated, angry state that God chose to act.  We are reconciled only because God made a way to do so.  Keeping this mind reminds us of how we have been brought back into relationship and purpose because of God’s actions.  Remembering where we came from helps us to stay both focused and thankful.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Prayer, submission, and action

After Jesus finished His ‘High Priestly Prayer’, they came to the garden where Jesus was later betrayed by Judas.  Although Jesus took Peter, James, and John from among the eleven to go pray with Him, Jesus ended up separating even further away to pray alone.  When we previously looked at this passage, we observed that in His last moments before the cross, Jesus desired to spend time in prayer alone with the Father.  However, when reading the passage this time, focus on the content of Jesus’ prayer:

Matthew 26:36-44 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He told the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”  Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, “My soul is swallowed up in sorrow – to the point of death.  Remain here and stay awake with Me.”  Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father!  If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me.  Yet not as I will, but as You will.”

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping.  He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you stay awake with Me one hour?  Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done.”  And He came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open.

After leaving them, He went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.

Jesus’ prayer is the pinnacle example of submitting to God’s will in prayer.  We are only getting snippets of what He prayed to the Father; the full prayer must have been agonizing and heart-wrenching.  Jesus wrestled with accepting the task in front of Him.  He knew it would cost His life, with all the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual torment coming first.  It is one thing to know that a tragic event is coming, it is something different to knowingly be right on the cusp of that event. 

In raw honesty, Jesus even asked if there was an alternative…some backup plan that the Father may  have for completing the mission, another way to remove the guilt of sin from the entire world.  And yet, Jesus was willing to submit His anxious desires because He trusted that the Father’s plan – however painful it would be – was better than His own longing to avoid the imminent pain of the cross.

Matthew 26:45-46 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?  Look, the time is near.  The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Get up; let’s go!  See – My betrayer is near.”

After seeking time with the Father and submitting Himself to the Father’s plan, Jesus knew that it was now time to act.  The time for prayer and preparation had passed.  It was now time to fulfill the mission the Father had given Him.

This observation is especially instructive.  We absolutely must seek God’s will in prayer and then submit to God’s will in prayer…but let’s make sure we go out and do God’s will when we’re finished praying.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Trust and prayer

The first place we’re going to look at when it comes to what Jesus taught about prayer is during his longest and most famous teaching session, known as the Sermon on the Mount.  However, before we get to his teachings about a person’s prayer-life, it’s worthwhile to pause for a moment and listen to what Jesus has to say about his teaching in general.

At the end of his sermon, Jesus concluded with this illustration:

Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock.  The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house.  Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed.  And its collapse was great!”

The two groups of people the Jesus is addressing here are those that “hear and do” in contrast with those who “hear and don’t”.  Both groups hear Jesus’ words.  And what did they just hear?  The Sermon on the Mount, which was instruction primarily focused on Kingdom living.  So now that they have received direction, Jesus closes by warning them about the importance of putting his words into practice.

Notice the other similarities between the builders:

• Both needed to build a house for protection from the coming storms
• Both built their house before the storm came, presumably while the weather was good
• Both experienced storms, as they couldn’t prevent the weather

But the difference between the builders…in fact, the ONLY difference between the builders…was also the defining difference when the storms arrived.

Jesus is claiming that the difference between those that “hear and do” and those that “hear and don’t” is just as significant as the foundation chosen by the builders.

Do we trust Jesus enough to act on his words?  It does us no good to simply listen to Christ’s teachings about prayer (or any other topic) if we’re not willing to take him at his word…and then take action accordingly.  In fact, Jesus says to that to hear him and then disregard his words will result in the eventual collapse of what we build in this life.

If we’re going to learn to pray like Jesus, we’re going to have to trust that he knows what he’s talking about…and then take action accordingly.

Keep Pressing,
Ken