El Paso and Dayton
“Where is God in all
of this?”
When awful events unfold as they
did this past week, often the cry goes out, “Where is God in all of this?” It is a fair question I suppose, but I
believe it is the wrong question.
Before moving further, I
acknowledge that when these events come up, too often, we use them as an
opportunity to further our cause. Politics
abound (interestingly, one shooter was a Democrat and one was a Republican) . Gun control advocates point out that an
assault rifle was used. Gun rights
advocates point out that guns stopped the killers and lament that others didn’t
have arms to stop them earlier. Mental
health advocates call for reforms. Community
advocates call for funding and the educational system is once again under the
microscope. Those of us in the church
add our voices to this mix and without apology, I want to further our cause
because I believe it is the only lasting answer to this plague of violence and
destruction!
Where is God in all of this? Let’s answer that question first before
moving along to the bigger question. God
was there. God was there when mothers
and fathers shielded children from a hail of bullets. God was there when military veterans risked
their lives to carry others to safety.
God was there when first responders risked their lives to protect the
innocent. God was there when EMTs, doctors
and nurses, rushed to give life-saving help.
God was there when volunteers gave blood to help fellow citizens and God
was there in the outpouring of love and support poured out onto the survivors
of these tragedies. God was also there
when He handed down laws to His people forbidding violence and murder. He was there when He declared that we should
love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
And ultimately, He was there to deliver us from this fallen sinful world
through Jesus Christ.
But where is the question, “Where
is Satan in all of this?” This must be
asked because he was certainly there! He
was there when parents chose to raise these killers without Christ. He was there when young men were influenced
by violent movies, video games and music that flooded hearts with hatred. He was there when these killers were taught
that life was meaningless because there was no creator. He was there when these killers were bullied
because of their differences. He was
there when secular humanism taught that there was no such thing as life after
death and no one to answer to for eternity.
He was there when societies rejected the idea that we are all God’s
children. He was there in the deep hours
of depression, loneliness and anguish that these killers endured for years. He was there when the guns were purchased,
when the ammunition was packed, when the plans were hatched and when the
trigger was pulled. He was there
rejoicing at the screams of the frightened, the injured and the dying.
Where will he strike next? It’s hard to say because he has a lot more room to work than he used to. He’s there when political blame is used to
gain power. He’s there in every hateful
rant on social media. He is there in the
many divisions that plague our land. Satan
is in communities that have turned from God.
He is there to fill up the vacuum in schools that cannot show any hint
of religion. He is in a culture that rejects
God in its media, social life and institutions. And he is here, right now,
working in the heart and mind of the next perpetrator of this evil violence
pulling the strings like a deranged marionette in a macabre play. He is in
every heart that thinks it can be master over its own life. This is his ultimate and original lie. Every time a heart chooses autonomy from God,
it is choosing to give itself over to Satan’s influence and control.
To be clear, God is love. Satan is hate. Jesus came to give life. Satan came to kill, steal and destroy.
Connor Betts, the Dayton shooter,
tweeted, “…I’m going to hell and i’m (sic) not coming back.”
According to CNN, Crusius (the El
Paso shooter) has been chatty with investigators — yet shown no remorse for his
heinous actions, authorities said. A police official told CNN that the twisted
young man, who authorities believe posted a rambling, anti-immigrant
“manifesto’’ online 20 minutes before the shooting, “had a stone-cold look when
he was arrested. “It was nothing short
of evil,’’ the source said. “It was a look I’d never seen before, and I’ve been
on this force for 31 years.”
“It was nothing short of evil”
indeed. The more our country strays from
God, the more we will exchange His love, peace, unity and life for Satan’s
hatred, fear, discord and death. We have
a choice to make America. God is willing
to be in all of this. So is Satan.
Tim Stutler
