Shootings with multiple deaths and casualties are happening all over America.  The sad aspect of this phenomenon is the little outrage it causes. Is it becoming part of our daily scenery? What is the problem? And why does America have this difficulty?

 Yet when a shooter disrupts our world, we all see and feel the damage and pain no matter where we live. The shock and horror are devastating for every victim. This is especially true when a casualty is an innocent child bystander.  Then sorrow and sadness pierce deep into our hearts. We ask why do these killers do what they do? Why use guns on innocent people when the problem experienced resides inside the troubled shooter?  

God created us and our universe in his image and likeness as a place to love him for loving us. God saw our extra love spilling over on others around us. Love is creation’s foundational bottom line, not slaughtering haphazardly friends and strangers around us. This act is not God’s plan.

God’s plan has us sharing our God given gifts and talents, not exchanging bullets that annihilate or hurt others.  The source of all we are and have is our creator God who daily rains his blessings equally on everyone for the purpose of service. Gifts are not given to be compared or wallowed in for self-glory.

Our gifts are entrusted to us to partner with God in making creation a better place. We do not imagine ourselves as partners with God in building up creation.  We simply see creation as a playground for our personal use.  Rarely do we consider creation as a place where we better God’s work and not trample and abuse it beyond recognition.

God doesn’t want shooters’ bad deeds in creation. God wants our good deeds to be the daily headlines not the tally of a distraught killer. When we choose to do a good deed, or many good deeds, we repair our world and make God’s grace seen and felt.  Remember “even the smallest seed can grow a tree.”

God doesn’t fix everything because God depends on our help. It is urgent that we do our part to fill the emptiness left by shooters with the goodness we cultivate. When we find our gifts and share them, Jesus more easily completes the redemption of our world.