<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter Snyder Q: Why did the Columbine massacre occur and how can we prevent it from happening again? A: Our interpretation of and reaction to violence will depend upon our understanding of God, humankind, and sin. Some will even use a tragedy such as Columbine to advance political agendas. An honest reading of Scripture and belief that its words are true should remove our surprise. The natural depravity of man since Eden is directly addressed, as when David says, "In sin was I conceived." This is not a condemnation of marital sex as somehow wicked, but an honest assessment that sinners beget sinners. That this is true is borne out in the actions of the people of the Bible and in all others who've inherited the stain of Adam's sin. Yet many still insist on thinking of children as innocent---as in totally free of sinful impulse---or as people who can go either way, who can by nature choose whether to serve God or self and Satan. Satan is another problem, especially in our "enlightened" modern times. The general populace has no real knowledge of him. He's at worst a Halloween cartoon in red tights with a pitchfork or else a symbol for those who are mentally so deranged as to act with extreme and overt selfishness or cruelty. Sadly, even many who ardently claim to be Christian disbelieve that there is an actual evil being, an angel fallen from the highest ranks of the heavenly host, who is actively involved in sewing strife and discord on earth. Thus, Satan no longer needs to hide himself, but can stroll boldly among our citizens. Likewise, many of us are too "mature" or "sophisticated" to accept Scripture as divinely inspired and inerrant. We are uncomfortable with a God who wants to be actively involved in every aspect of our lives, who has absolute standards and who exacts a terrible, eternal penalty upon those who depart from them. Once, we taught from the Bible a God who judges each action as either right or wrong. Now, many learn to compare relative merits and decide if something is right or wrong for the individual. They learn to make self the final arbiter. This is not a new concept; it's as old as Satan telling our first parents, "You will be like God." The seed which he planted bore bitter harvest, and has been reseeded throughout the generations. His lie was echoed in that of Enlightenment philosophy, which even contributed to the establishment of the United States: "Man is the measure of all things." Furthermore, by departing from God's absolutes and by picking and choosing what Scriptures we will believe, we allow companion sins to grow up along with the sin against the First Commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods." Among these, disregard for human life is a constant problem in our society. Child abuse and neglect are signs of it. Parents who think they are "good" because they provide all things except those most necessary are likewise part of the problem. Too many know how to give lavishly of earthly wealth yet withhold active involvement in their children's lives and neglect the setting and maintaining of boundaries of behavior. Worst of all, they make church and God optional---at best. Violent videos, Goth rock, and the like get too much blame. Where are the parents who could say, "No," when their children get involved in such? And even without violent videos, movies, or games, what example does society give when it even has to debate whether doctors can kill their patients or whether children can be sucked out of the womb and destroyed? The knee-jerk reactions will continue. Some will want to ban guns, forgetting that there are countless other effective ways to kill. Others will want to make parents legally accountable for each and every antisocial action of their children. You'll hear about proposed fixes including extended censorship, strictly enforced school dress codes, or city, state or even national curfews. Some ideas will have some merit. Others will be ridiculously off-target. Yet even the best of them are only bandages slapped over cancerous tumors. That's where the Church has the real message. It is one of belief in the Lord of Life who crucified for our sins and raised for our justification. It is a message of the seriousness of our sin, in that the only way to defeat it was to destroy the Son of God on the cross. It is also the message that sin is forgiven. It is a message that calls each of us to repent, to bend our knees before God and say, "I am a sinner deserving nothing but your wrath." Yet this message also lifts us up and says, "Your sins are forgiven." The message is more than "acting Christian," although it is true that right parenting, right teaching, and right governing are all part of the Christian life. Like Cassie Bernall, murdered for daring to say that she believed in God, we need the peace and strength that only comes from honestly confronting our sins and fully trusting in Christ's forgiveness, so that we can boldly confess our God and confront the evil around us. Likewise, the Word of God calls us to bend our knees again in prayer, casting all our burdens on him who cares for us. It is only after bending our knees---in confession of sin, confession of faith, and in prayer---that we can stand up to confront honestly and courageously the evil (and the Evil One) in our world. Only when our knees are so bent do we avoid jerking them in improper or short-sighted reactions and instead continue with being what we are called to be---light in a sin-darkened world. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville, Texas and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1999 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.