Something must be done.

We all agree on that. No more kids should die.

But how that should happen we all disagree sharply. Some of my friends believe that we need to tighten down on the mentally ill. Some believe that it is the fault of the gun manufacturers, the NRA, or lawmakers.

But I submit that the problem of murder has existed since the beginning of recorded history, with Cain and Abel. God is very clear in the Bible that murder is wrong, and yet we humans keep doing it. The problem with the idea of gun control is the premise that we need to make sure that guns don’t get into the hands of people who would use them to murder.

If it were possible to identify every person who is going to commit murder with a gun before they do it, I would be 100% on board with taking away those people’s right to own a gun. But it’s not possible.

And so we are left with the main problem. It’s the problem humans have been dealing with since the Garden: sin.

We could rephrase the question thusly: how do we keep people from sinning against each other? The answer is: we don’t. We witness about what God has done for us and what He can do for them. We show them that there’s a better way: the Way of Jesus Christ.

The Bible says that the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. That’s all of us. It’s only through the murderers like we witnessed this week in Florida do we see just how desperately wicked we humans can be. I would be remiss if I did not mention the fact that the tragedy of Florida, Sandy Hook, and Columbine is massively eclipsed by the tragedy of the 60 million children that have been killed in abortion clinics all over the country since 1973. Their deaths are no less tragic. But back to the topic at hand: what to do about school shooters?

I believe God wants me to love my enemies, but He also wants me to protect my family. Doing that against armed assailants would be difficult if I didn’t have a gun myself.

The answer isn’t to get rid of the guns, but to fix the hearts of the people holding them. I pray for the hearts of the victims’ families. I pray they are comforted during this time of sorrow. But mostly I pray that they will find the peace that can only come through trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I also pray for the murderers; those who have killed and those who are even now planning the next school shooting. Lord, please turn their hearts to You.

Something must be done. And yet, something has already been done two thousand years ago on a hill just outside of Jerusalem. Never forget that God is in control, He has a plan, and He works in our situations to draw us closer to Him and to glorify Himself.