A Letter for My Kids
The most recent shooting incident has been much talked about in our house. As a mom, my heart aches for those parents who lost their little ones. They were so young, babies, really. How do I explain rampant evil in this world to my own children? How do I help them wrap their heads around little children gunned down? Some of my kids are hurting and disturbed by this, especially since we have 3 kids roughly in the same age range as those murdered. How can I help them feel safe? How can I help them understand when I barely understand? There are so many news articles out there in various media forms that give parents talking points and tips on how to deal with this. They are all well meaning and somewhat useful, but most leave God out of the equation. And that just falls short of any really helpful solutions.
So, I started with 3 facts: 1. There is evil in the world, all around us. A cursory look at history makes that obvious. 2. There is good in the world, too, and it's not so hard to find either. 3. God is sovereign in the affairs of men. Then I remind them that Scripture tells us that not one of us can be really good, that we all fall short of God's glory. Then we get to the issue of evil: what does it look like? Scripture gives us some lists of evil things, and they range from disrespect towards parents, to strife and envy, to murder and lying, and lots more in between. And a child will point out that lying's not so bad and neither is envy, but murder is really bad! But then I point out that while in our limited minds, we see it that way, God does not. So, when one of the kids wants what another kid has and whacks him over the head to get it; or when one of the kids lies to me to cover up something they have done, I may think those things are not as bad as murder, but God sees them the same. Sin is sin; evil is evil. The ability to break the Law resides in all of us equally; it's just that while some of us choose to tell white lies or steal, or talk back to our parents, some of us choose murder. Sure, the immediate consequences of the "lesser" sins are not as traumatic and horrific as the "greater" sins. The long term consequences of "lesser" sins are not as clear. But while equating murder with envy seems harsh, the good news is that there is also forgiveness, no matter the transgression!
And so we get back to the shooting. Yes it was evil and wicked, and the murderer is wholly accountable for his actions; he has no one else to blame, and that is a surety. And, yes, any one of us could meet our end and the hands of a wicked man. But just as sure is a God who is ready to forgive us no matter what we have done; He is even able to offer forgiveness to someone who guns down a bunch of innocent kids. This forgiveness is also ours for the asking. We may never be able to comprehend forgiveness for such an action, but our God can.
This is hard, and I have no easy answers, just a paltry amount of understanding to offer. But I have a God with all the answers and that's what I can give to my children.
So, I started with 3 facts: 1. There is evil in the world, all around us. A cursory look at history makes that obvious. 2. There is good in the world, too, and it's not so hard to find either. 3. God is sovereign in the affairs of men. Then I remind them that Scripture tells us that not one of us can be really good, that we all fall short of God's glory. Then we get to the issue of evil: what does it look like? Scripture gives us some lists of evil things, and they range from disrespect towards parents, to strife and envy, to murder and lying, and lots more in between. And a child will point out that lying's not so bad and neither is envy, but murder is really bad! But then I point out that while in our limited minds, we see it that way, God does not. So, when one of the kids wants what another kid has and whacks him over the head to get it; or when one of the kids lies to me to cover up something they have done, I may think those things are not as bad as murder, but God sees them the same. Sin is sin; evil is evil. The ability to break the Law resides in all of us equally; it's just that while some of us choose to tell white lies or steal, or talk back to our parents, some of us choose murder. Sure, the immediate consequences of the "lesser" sins are not as traumatic and horrific as the "greater" sins. The long term consequences of "lesser" sins are not as clear. But while equating murder with envy seems harsh, the good news is that there is also forgiveness, no matter the transgression!
And so we get back to the shooting. Yes it was evil and wicked, and the murderer is wholly accountable for his actions; he has no one else to blame, and that is a surety. And, yes, any one of us could meet our end and the hands of a wicked man. But just as sure is a God who is ready to forgive us no matter what we have done; He is even able to offer forgiveness to someone who guns down a bunch of innocent kids. This forgiveness is also ours for the asking. We may never be able to comprehend forgiveness for such an action, but our God can.
This is hard, and I have no easy answers, just a paltry amount of understanding to offer. But I have a God with all the answers and that's what I can give to my children.
You've given God to your children, and so much more. I may not always agree with your politics, but I am blessed to know you and grateful to have you as my neighbor. Hug those babies for me please!
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