When will it stop?
There was another mass shooting by an angry young man near a University of California campus in Santa Barbara last Friday. Six were left dead, seven wounded.
Perhaps it is a microcosm of hatred and vengeance taken out on a larger scale around the world in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and parts of Africa where life is mortally threatened daily and people are murdered in mind-numbing numbers. Whatever the underlying reason, it needs to stop. Humanity needs to come up with meaningful answers that root hatred out of the human consciousness, replace it with love, and cause people to love one another and work together for each other’s happiness.
This will not happen overnight, but it must occur for the world to be a safe place to live.
Bullets kill people. Bullets come from guns. Fingers pull the trigger on those guns. And thoughts govern those fingers. The more people love one another, rather than hate, the sooner their thinking will be filled with thoughts of love, and a loving thought will not pull a trigger on a gun aimed at a neighbor they respect and cherish.
The remedy for mass murder is based on a simple rule, really, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” It’s a rule taught by most religions around the world, and by thinkers and leaders who do not consider themselves religious. It’s preached to billions of people.
We need to teach it to all our children, and live it so they learn by example, at home, in our community, in our nations, between countries. This is happening already, of course, but it needs to happen more.
When dealing with mentally disturbed children who need special help, they cannot be ignored or forgotten and left to the devices of malicious intent. Those who are thinking clearly must help the troubled child find some type of progressive peace before they commit a horrible crime. We need to let our collective love be so broad that no one feels like an outcast, and prove that there is enough love to go around for everyone.
I pray that we collectively figure this out for the benefit of all.
“Mass shooting in Santa Barbara: Another disturbed young man?”
Christian Science Monitor
Only one word to add to this totally spot on blog post : AMEN and AMEN.
Thank you once again for this clear thinking.
Blessings.
Thank you Evan for this post so clearly handling the belief of hate. Pouring in love, the love we all reflect from God.
Thank you, Evan, for this “bugle-call to action…..to (as you wrote)
“root hatred out of the human consciousness…” Your topic brought to my thought Mrs. Eddy’s words in Science and Health (Pg 96):
“Mortal error will vanish in a moral chemicalization.
This mental fermentation has begun, and will continue
until all errors of belief yield to understanding.
“As this consummation draws nearer, he who has
shaped his course in accordance with divine Science
will endure to the end.
“During this final conflict, wicked minds will endeavor
to find means by which to accomplish more evil; but
those who discern Christian Science will hold crime in
check. They will aid in the ejection of error. They
will maintain law and order, and cheerfully await the
certainty of ultimate perfection.”
I believe she meant what she said, that Truth and error
are in a huge conflict, that Truth will win,and she urged us to do our
individual work to root hatred in any degree out of
first our own consciousness….be it in any degree: mild
irritation, annoyance, active dislike, etc…and others (our communities
and the world) so that we may witness and experience Truth’s
absolute control over all Its creation.
“Onward, Christian Soldiers!”
This latest tragedy has hit very close to home. Two of my daughters are recent graduates of UCSB. And one of the young men gunned down attended the same high school as my kids.
My heart goes out to the parents, families and friends of these wonderful young people who were killed.
It seems to me that the mentally ill young man should never have been allowed to buy firearms.
His bizarre behavior was not dealt with, but ignored on many levels, including law enforcement.
Your thoughts are very much appreciated, Evan.
Prayer and action is needed.
This is such a complex problem that there is no easy solution. We do have to look within ourselves first. How do we love? How do we judge? How self-serving are we? How compassionate are we? How honest are we? In any decision or judgement we make ask the question of ourselves…..what is this saying about me? I think there is a lot of hypocrisy, a lot of self-righteousness and a lot of double standards right here within ourselves. Am I really willing to leave all for Christ, for Christ consciousness? In the meantime how can I engage with and care for my fellow-man because…..there but for the grace of God go I (John Bradford). Jesus said that when we do good to the stranger, the poor, the sick and those in prison we are doing it to Christ because we are all Christ’s….and we have to meet them where they are because really they are us. Jesus final imperative is that we love one another….that command is huge.
It is interesting that we talk about man as the individual ray of light coming from the sun. But we are only aware of the individual ray because of the polution in the air. In reality the light from the sun just fills everywhere without being made up of individual rays. So are we a ray of light or light itself?
This young man left a very revealing story of his life…..nearly 140 pages. There are many, many clues in it and it would be very helpful for everyone to read.
Dear Evan: This is no joke. In my day there were bullies who teased and hit you with their fists. I don’t condone that, but guns! Who needs then but the proper authorities, Police, Armed Forces , FBI, and CIA. The 2nd amendment doesn’t allow private citizens to have or carry guns. It only allows MILITIA to carry guns which has been stated above. Whatever reason given for these horrors, it must stop. This is the USA. I am beginning to think that we are in a perpetual Civil War caused by;
1) The break down of families. Teach a child at exact exit of the womb, the right things to do.
2) The goryness of killing as depicted on TV.
3) The love for money over the respect of Life.
4) The unnecessary need for ridiculous beaucracy.
The affirmation of the above is just a smidgen reason for all this.
Thank you Evan, and for all the comments. The one about not being allowed to buy firearms seems a key one…
As a Canadian I have never quite figured out the US obsession with 300 year old constitutional rights like with the “right to bear arms”…. Usually people change laws that are not working for them. The guns per capita in the USA is truly a wonder. Perhaps unconstitutional under ” a right to live peacefully?”
To me bearing arms is arming with Principle…” love your neighbour ” is a good “arm” to carry..
linking arms with your neighbour and helping to carry them… is bearing arms.
My heart goes out to everyone that is trying to make sense of this and find the solutions.
We can certainly help with our prayers that put faith in the ” arm” of The Lord.
Perhaps these incidents are a wake up call…. to arms.
There are no ” Cain’s” in Love’s eternal family.
We can prayerfully fight for the divine right s of all God’s children.
It will end when we quit believing any of God’s children are capable of…or even know anything of the evil we call hatred, violence, death.
These situations are really simple. We are living in an era where the progressive ideas and educators are telling everyone that there is no God. The mortal laws that are presented are confusing young people, so that their only hope are the guns and knives to make their world seem right.
Hence the importance/purpose of our Sunday Schools and our loving embrace of community/world children.
Thank you, Evan, for pointing out that it isn’t the bullets, the guns, or the fingers that must be changed [nor, I would add, is it the Constitution] – it’s the thoughts. Hate-filled thought will make a weapon out of anything, be it gun, knife, club, stone, hands or words, and look for an opportunity or an excuse to use it. Love-filled thought will remove the concept of weapon from any object, as well as removing the “need” for weapons and the glorification of violence from the minds of humankind.
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
God is love; and he that dwelleth in live dwelleth in God, and God in him.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
I John 4:7, 16 “God,” 21
A tall order, but one that we must fill.
Oops… forgot to cite Verse 18. 🙂
Message so needed. Thank you Evan, and thank you all.
Nathan Talbot’s article Why the Violence in the April 2000 Journal raises an aspect of this that we could work on…..especially as this young man had been shocked that he could think of doing such a thing. He was hoping for just one tiny thing that would stop him. Nate’s article goes on…….. If you are willing to pray about societal violence, you might add this additional perspective to your “prayer plate.” Yes, there are plenty of well-wishers from around the world supportive of the United States’ efforts to resolve this spate of violence. But there are also those who harbor deep resentment, envy, and hostility toward this country. While such animosity has at times led to terrorist acts, hatred sometimes attacks in a different way. A mental way. It is important that society be defended in every way against evil.
Among Dr. Larry Dossey’s several books is one titled “Be Careful What You Pray for … You Just Might Get It.” An interview with him in the January 5, 1998, issue of the Christian Science Sentinel refers to a point he raises about how some people use mental means to manipulate others. He speaks of Mary Baker Eddy’s warnings about this. In her writings, she clearly brings out the importance of defending ourselves from the practice of wrong, even hateful mental influences.
end quote
Certainly, keeping guns out of the hands of mentally ill people is a step in the right direction. Having an effective response from the agencies this young man’s family contacted about his mental problems would have possibly stopped him.
I think that working on our own consciousness is a way to not add to the mental garbage out there. As we deepen our understanding of the truth and let that light shine in everything we do we will effectively not add to the craziness and perhaps tipping the balance out there for Love. Yes, love your neighbor as yourself but know who your Self is and know that that is all there is for everyone. Each of us are given countless times in our lives to Knock and Receive. I guess there will always be people who will never knock.