Monday, August 8, 2011

The response? End the violence

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Saturday:
A woman still grieving the murder of her 12-year-old daughter three years ago lost a son to gun violence Friday and lay in a hospital bed, unable to speak with detectives, herself the victim of a shooting an hour earlier.

Those close to Kimberly Wade said she still struggled with the loss of her daughter, Jolesa Barber, whose killing in a hail of gunfire in January 2008 became emblematic of the ravages of gang violence. Ms. Wade, a mother of seven, moved to Koerner Avenue in Perry South, not far from the row house where Jolesa was struck by gunfire meant for her brother.

But harm followed her. Police said Ms. Wade, 45, was shot in the stomach while she sat on her porch just after 10 p.m. Thursday, by at least one gunman who riddled her house with bullet holes. A witness told police two young men darted away on foot. An hour later and less than a mile away, her son, Chris Michaux, 19, was shot in the head outside a friend's house on Leland Street.

It is interesting to me that thousands of miles away and a day later, Texas Gov. Rick Perry's prayer event "The Response" was held. It was, of course, controversial, because Perry is a governmental official and because it is a Christian event. Perry was quoted as say about the event, "As an elected leader, I’m all too aware of government’s limitations when it comes to fixing things that are spiritual in nature. That’s where prayer comes in, and we need it more than ever. With the economy in trouble, communities in crisis and people adrift in a sea of moral relativism, we need god’s help.”

Notice that the g in God is lower case. We won't even argue about that this morning though we could. It seems to me that instead of fussing and fighting and arguing abut whose god we should be praying to, the fact remains that God, a living, loving being who created and sustained us, is more necessary than ever before in this country and in this world. Frankly, we are in bad, bad shape. Our credit rating -- our CREDIT rating -- went down. The greatest country in the world no longer is as trustworthy as it once was. That's not a story. That's a huge story, friends. We are no longer the country that others turn to financially. How long before we're not the country to turn to in other ways?

The question, perhaps then, should be where will we turn? Where will we get a proper response, Perry asks.

The Bible says the question has been posed, "Where does my help come from?" The answer, the only answer I'm afraid is, "My help comes from the Lord."

Perry, who is quickly gaining my attention in an attentionless group of Republican candidates, seems to understand this. If we want to end the violence, we must become peaceful people. If we want to become peaceful people, we must turn to the giver of peace ... this man Jesus.


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