Jesus Wept: Statue located at Oklahoma City National Memorial
Jesus wept. It may be the shortest sentence
in the bible, but I also find it one of the most powerful. What does it take to
bring the Son of God to such emotion? How can it be that a Savior, who in just
a few moments will bring a dead man back to life, would be in such a grievous
state of sorrow?
We may not fully understand the meaning of
Jesus’ tears as he stood, outside the grave of his friend Lazarus, weeping, but
we can fully understand his emotional pain. The nation finds itself in mourning
this week after the brutal and evil murders at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
The question on everyone's lips - why? The debates rage over the cause and the
cure. We argue over gun control, mental illness treatments, government
restrictions, and the list goes on. Everyone has an opinion and an accusation.
The argument that I am having the most trouble with, however, is that the
government is to blame because it has kept God out of schools. The most reprehensible of comments came
from the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer...
“Here’s the bottom line —
God is not going to go where he is not wanted, We kicked God out of our
public school system. I think God would say to us, hey, I would be glad to
protect your children but you gotta invite me back into your world first. I’m
not going to go where I’m not wanted. I am a gentleman…. Back when we had
prayer, the Bible, and the Ten Commandments in schools, we did not need guns.”
Mr. Fischer is not the only one to make this
argument to me; others are just as adamant that if prayer and the bible were
taught in public schools then these horrific events would not be happening to
our children. I am troubled by this argument for many reasons.
First, "God is not going to go where he is not wanted, We kicked God out of our public school system." This argument requires us to believe
that the government has the power to control the very presence of God. Let me
assure you, there is no government on earth with that kind of power.
Second, "I would be glad to protect your children but..." This argument requires us to believe
in a God that punishes innocent babies by withdrawing from their presence. This
stands in stark contrast to a risen Christ that assures us he will always be
with us. It also indicates a God that is petty and vengeful and immature.
This would be the kind of God that said,
“If you aren’t going to play my way I will take my toys and go home” rather than the God who says, “Be
strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the
Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deut.
31:6)
Third, "you gotta invite me back into your world first." This argument removes all concept of
Grace from God's character. The greatest tenet of grace is that it is unmerited
and undeserved. As a United Methodist, I believe in what John Wesley described
as "Prevenient Grace" - the grace that "comes before." Our
belief is that God first loves us, before we even have any concept of that love
or even the ability to return that love. When we are still sinners, still lost,
still unbelievers, God loves us and is at work in and around us to draw us
closer and bring us to a place of recognition and acceptance. To argue that God
will protect our children only when God is "invited" into our lives
is not fitting with the God of such grace.
Fourth, "Back when we had prayer, the Bible, and the Ten Commandments in schools, we did not need guns.” I'm not even sure I understand the "need for guns" statement but as for the context of the statement - It is just flat out not true that when
we had prayer, the Bible and the Ten Commandments in school that we were any more protected from harm. There have always been bad things happening in the world and in our
schools and those bad things did not all center around a need for guns.
Fifth, this argument that the schools are
responsible for the religious instruction of our children is greatly
problematic. Public schools are institutions meant for academic instruction. Religious
instruction should be carried out by families and by churches. I personally am
not offended by the removal of teacher led prayer in school. My daughter was
once forced by a teacher to read a bible in class because the teacher was trying to convince her to
reject our faith and embrace the faith of the teacher, a Jehovah's Witness. I
don't want my child's teacher having that kind of religious influence. I am
completely in agreement that our children are not learning what they need to
learn about God, about faith and about morality, but the fault and failure
doesn't lie in our teachers, our schools and our government - it lies in our
family priorities and in our churches. It is not my government’s job to
instill values in my children; it is mine. It is not the schools job to teach
the bible to my children; it is mine and church's.
The events at Sandy Hook and other similar
atrocities are indeed a wake up call for all of us as Christians. We have a
responsibility in how the world knows and understands God. We are God’s
witnesses and proclaimers in this world and we must be very careful of that
responsibility. The world (and our children) needs to know that God is with us
– it is the very proclamation of Christmas – Emmanuel (God with us). We cannot
let them believe that God’s presence is fickle and unsure. We cannot leave them
to understand that if they don’t please God that they will be subjected to a
murder’s bullet. We must do better than that.
In the face of evil, Jesus weeps. Evil
happens in this world and it comes in many forms but it does not come with
enough power to block out the presence of God. God was in Sandy Hook Elementary
school to comfort and welcome those babies into a new life where such pain and
terror need not be known. To deny God's presence there is to deny they were loved and
accepted by him…and that I will never do.
Our Christmas proclamation is that the birth of Jesus brought God into the world as never before. Our Easter proclamation is that God's presence is inseparable from ours - not even death can tear us apart. That is the lesson our children need to know - the lesson the world needs to know - especially as we weep.
If we want to make the world a safer place for our children then make religious instruction in your home a priority. Find a church that takes the religious instruction of children seriously. Make church and faith a vital part of your life and your family's life and invite their friends to join you. Mentor in the schools - go ask a guidance counselor or social worker who the loners are and volunteer to mentor them. We can sit and play blame all day but only with love and commitment will we turn the tide of evil and heal the wounds of brokenness.
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
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