Christians have something to add to the conversation about Newtown
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| English: Bouguereau's L'Innocence. Both young children and lamb are symbols of innocence. Français : Bouguereau — (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
After all, the slaughter of innocent children is right there, in the Christmas story. Soldiers with bloody swords were right on the heels of the wise men. The prophecy of the slaughter of children is literally the next verse after the prophecy of the virgin birth (Jer 31:13-14; 15).
Some observations are obvious and can be made by Christians and non-Christians alike. If you have a mentally unstable child who is prone to violence, don’t stockpile guns in your house, for example. At least don’t teach him how to use them.
You also don’t have to be a Christian to realize that the slaughter of children is horrible, wicked, and tears at the very fabric of what it means to be human. Anger at the shooter, grief for the families, and general horror and shock are all appropriate responses that are not dependent on one’s creed.
But behind that are basic questions that Christians have answers to. We know what makes children “innocent,” and thus a crime like this so horrible. We know they have a sin nature, but also child-like faith. We can explain why there is dignity in every human life. We can explain exactly what knowledge children lack, and what exactly they learn as they grow that makes the term “innocent” no longer applicable.
Christians have categories for sin and suffering. We can explain how God created the world good, and yet because of sin evil things happen. We understand that the sovereignty of God does not negate the fact that God is grieved at the slaughter of children.
We also can articulate the limits of human justice, and how even if a murderer escapes this life without answering for his crimes, we know that eternity does not bring false acquittals.
A question people have been asking frequently— I’ve heard it a few times today—is “where does evil like this come from?” Christians understand the wickedness that is in the heart, and we know how to answer that question. We also know about common grace, and instead of asking “why do things like this happen?” we give thanks to God because things like this don’t happen more often.
Finally, we understand what it means to be “safe.” We know that gun laws, mental health treatment, school security systems, background checks, and armed security combined cannot make a person safe. Instead, our safety comes from being reconciled to God through faith in Christ. Our eternal safety comes from the work of the Spirit, and our temporal safety is not guaranteed. This is why it is indeed sinful to say “today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city” without regard to the Lord’s will. We use deadbolts out of wisdom, but trust them out of folly.
Obviously there is evil in the world. But that concept only makes sense when there is a law giver, and the appalling nature of a crime certainly is commensurate with the authority and dignity of the one who is transgressed. This crime was so barbaric because it transgressed children. But at that point our common ground with non-believers runs out. The real horror of the crime is that it was a sin against God.
So while the world wrings its collective hands and rightfully mourns, Christians should mourn as well. But we should do so knowing that God, in his word, has taught us how to think about such acts.
