Articles
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School
Shootings Why?
May 2009
Ever
wondered what motivated teenagers such as the German school boy Tim
Kretschmer or the American students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold to
commit such dastardly acts. These kids shot and killed their own
classmates. Well, back in the 1980s some of the mischievous acts done
by school students were meddling pencils, lying, copying during exams
and others. So why is there a shift of attitudes among youngsters? I
would put the blame on the media, especially movies and music. You see,
movies today have revenge and violence as the theme. It also induces
violence, rage and unforgiveness. Twenty or thirty years ago movies did
not promote such violence. Music is another culprit. There was a young
teenager who listened to a song that had suicide as its theme and as
soon as he finished listening to it, went and committed suicide in his
backyard. I know that many people listen to music such as these knowing
beforehand that it is violent. They simply state that they only enjoy
the tune and don’t pay attention to the lyrics. This is dangerous
because without their knowledge the lyrics get registered in the
subconscious mind. This in turn affects the inner man or the soul.
However,
I must also admit that not all movies and music are evil. There are
numerous excellent movies and music, which promote good values. Certain
types of video games are also to blame. Kretschmer loved playing
Counter-Strike, a video game in which players are supposed to shoot the
opposition.
One
possible solution that would pop up in people's minds is education. If
only a child is given good education, then he/she would not commit such
acts of violence. This is only a myth. For instance, take a young kid
who steals nuts and bolts from a railway track, put him in college, and
by
the time he finishes college he would have the know-how to steal the
whole railway track. During WWII, Nazi doctors tortured women, men and
children and performed cruel medical experiments on humans. They were
all well educated people. So the solution is not in education.
The Solution
Have
you ever said to yourself, “Why did I say that?” or “I just didn’t have
control over the words that came out of my mouth”. Actually, the inner
man dictates how the outer man (body) should live. So, how do we have
control over our inner man? The answer lies in the transformation of
the heart. Inside every heart there is a God-shaped vacuum. Only Jesus
Christ is big enough to fill this vacuum. Stuffing this vacuum with
drugs, alcohol, violence and others would not satisfy. God is our
source of strength and power. Like a fish out of water or a plant
uprooted from the soil, a life without God will be empty and
meaningless. Initially when God created man, He breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life, and then man became a living being.
Without the supernatural touch of God, there wouldn’t be any life in
us. So there is always a part in us that longs to make union with God.
Only when we ask God to come into our lives and fill this vacuum, will
we find true fulfillment and meaning in life. I have seen
countless number of people, whose lives were transformed by the power
of Jesus Christ.
When
I speak about the transformation of heart, I am not just saying it
theoretically. I have known friends, who were high on drugs and
alcohol. These were guys who led very wretched lives and made many poor
choices. I have seen these same guys be totally changed after a
transformation of the heart. I myself had a dark and painful past
before I
met Jesus and started to have a personal relationship with Him. I wish
I had an eraser that would erase away my past failures and mistakes.
Now here is the beauty of forgiveness that Christ offers, a
forgiveness that not only forgets my past but also gives a brand new
beginning. I am thankful to God for giving me breath in my nostrils
because I have had close brushes with death and I really should not be
alive today. However, only by the protection and grace of God I am
alive today.
After the witnessing the carnage of the
WWII,
former German chancellor, Konrad Adenauer said, "Outside of the
resurrection of Jesus, I do not know of any other hope for this world".
I
encourage you to try Jesus. If you want Jesus to transform
your life, then
pray a simple prayer and ask Jesus to come into your
life.
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