June was very much the month from hell, both for my little world and much of the globe. I’m far from alone in my experience that sometimes we get slammed from all sides, and July is shaping up to be more unnerving for everyone.
Striking back at Satan does NOT mean killing the innocent or anyone else who hasn’t deliberately injured you or your immediate circles. Even if they have done so, revenge is beyond the ability of the everyday person to handle with mercy and righteousness. A government does what a government needs to do to protect its citizens but you and I need to leave retribution for God to handle.
Targeting the innocent is ignorant and vicious behavior. No one should be killed just because a cranky cop pulled them over, no matter if a hidden agenda might have been playing out. No one should be beaten up, let alone killed, because a couple of prejudiced cops first provoked a reaction.
Those so-called police officers should have been screened out prior to or during academy training. We need our police departments. We support them in their dangerous work to protect us. It’s the rotten apples who get good people killed on both sides of the thin blue line.
Can the Killings Stop?
Between these and earlier incidents, KKK knock-offs have created a monster of hatred that will continue to grow. We can’t continue living with this hatred all around us. The killing has to stop. But I fear we will have little choice, in spite of the prayers of God-loving, God-fearing people everywhere.
We can slow down the murders by our humble pleadings to the Father of us all, and behave ethically ourselves, but changing the tide may border on wishful thinking. These are indeed the Last Days. Things will get worse until God Himself says “Enough!” and instructs His Son to return to earth and take over the reins. In fact, things will be so bad before then that most of us will hope not to live long enough on earth to be here for the final ramp-up. Even though we’re staying close to God, even standing in Holy Places, we would still witness the events.
Targeting the innocent, whether at random or not, is so unconscionable as to defy description. My already-broken heart shatters further with every Breaking News report. New reports of killings and avoidable accidents come in four and five times a day now. Many of us know all innocent victims are in our Heavenly Father’s care but that doesn’t replace a brand-new husband or a father for their grieving families, friends, and co-workers. It just doesn’t!
Sorrow is to be expected. Sorrow is healthy and cleansing but platitudes will not heal it, nor will time. With God’s grace, time and remembering there is a Balm in Gilead will bring acceptance and understanding in place of pain and anger. We know we are ALL loved and redeemed by the Savior’s Atonement, but sorrow remains deep. (Ask any mother who lost a child 70 years ago if the sadness has gone. Although she has chosen to be happy anyway, almost all who are honest will tell you the sadness has not gone, even though she well knows or wants to believe they will be reunited in the Hereafter.)
The will to move forward very slowly into the next phase of life on earth will emerge from the shock of senseless killings. Stupid Facebook comments from Bible-thumping Internet trolls referring to depression as depravity, and calling on sufferers to repent so God can heal them, are mind-numbing in their ignorance and cruelty.
July started badly for the world. Going forward, we can hope and pray for kindness and civility instead but must soldier on if those are not what we see or experience happening around us and overseas. Displaying the depths of ignorance by targeting the innocent is not the answer.
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