Crucified for Christ

I'm not saying I'm a martyr by any sense of the word, but I am saying that in many ways standing up for God these days does lead to your being called hurtful names as people who choose to believe differently try to censor you.  I wanted to express my tremendous sorrow at the sudden and shocking news on Friday of the tragedy that occurred at an elementary school in Connecticut which led to the murder of 26 people, including 20 young children.  I have a kindergartner in a public school.  I was devastated for what had happened to those children and to their families, and I was terrified that such an event could happen in my son's school and classroom.  I still haven't decided how I could even bring up this subject with my 5 year old although I do want to help prepare him for any and all disasters that could affect him.  Shortly after the news hit me, I just wanted to express my desire for this nation to come together in prayer and ask God to be with the victims and their families and that it was not an appropriate response to immediately turn to politics and blame guns in an attempt to push some political agenda.  My fear is that many of these people who do not profess belief in God and try to censor those who do wish to speak about God in such times would turn around and blame God for the event as so often happens.  They are so quick to question why "our" God would let something like this happen after pushing God out.  The first news story I read moments after the event was from MSNBC news online that consisted of a statement from the White House that ended with a staunch statement about the White House's (and thus the President's) position that he would continue to push for tighter gun control.  There was no statement expressing any sorrow for the tragic events!  I was just upset about this initial response.  An initial response to such a tragedy should not be used to push political agenda.  My statement that I posted thereafter was:  

"Instead of blaming guns for the tragic events such as the one today in Connecticut, I think our President needs to get on his knees and ask God to come back into our schools after He has been forced out for so long! May God bring comfort and peace to the victims and their families."

The statement led to a very liberal schoolmate (she isn't really a friend but I had somehow become friends with her on Facebook merely because we attend school together) calling me an "idiot."  Seriously?  I am an idiot now for expressing my beliefs?  Is that the "free" country we live in these days?  I hope not!  

I recently read a statement posted by Mike Huckabee who experienced a similar backlash from his political opponents in an attempt to silence him and just thought it was very well-written:

I’ve said some controversial things from time to time, but none which prompted such a backlash as when I stated that the horrific shooting in CT of school children and teachers couldn’t be blamed on God because we’ve systematically marginalized God out of our culture by removing Him from all aspects of the public square. The vicious attacks that have resulted, most of all of which are based on total ignorance of what I actually said have actually validated my point, but I’m quite certain that was not the intent of both the professional and amateur critics who have demanded everything from my being banned from ever speaking in public again, or wished me a slow and painful death. On that alone, I wish to acknowledge that the left has again shown that it defines tolerance and diversity as being tolerant only of that with which it agrees, and diverse only to include slight shades of the orthodoxy of liberalism to which they adhere. They abhor censorship of their own profanity, obscenities, or graphic violence, but are the first to demand that a voice that invokes the name of God to be silenced. A specific act of violence is rarely the result of a specific single act of a culture that prompts it. In other words, I would never say that simply taking prayer and Bible reading from our institutions or silencing Christmas carols is the direct cause of a mass murder. That would be ludicrous and simplistic.  But the cause and effect we see in the dramatic changes of what our children are capable of is a part of a cultural shift from a God-centered culture to a self-centered culture. We have glorified uninhibited self-expression and individualism and are shocked that we have a generation of loners. We have insisted on a society where everyone gets a trophy and no one loses and act surprised that so many kids lack self-esteem and feel like losers. We dismiss the notion of natural law and the notion that there are moral absolutes and seemed amazed when some kids make it their own morality to kill innocent children. We diminish and even hold in contempt the natural family of a father and mother creating and then responsibly raising the next generation and then express dismay that kids feel no real connection to their families or even the concept of a family. We scoff at the need for mothers and fathers to make it their priority to train their children to be strong in spirit and soul and responsible for right and wrong and exalt instead the virtue of having things and providing expensive toys, games, and electronics that substitute for parenting and then don’t understand why our kids would rather have ear buds dangling from their ears, fingers attaching to a smart phone, and face attached to a computer screen than to have an extended conversation with their family at dinner. And we don’t teach them there is a Creator God who sets immutable rules, a God who is knowable, and to whom we are ultimately responsible. Instead we teach that God was not involved in our origins, that our very lives are biological happenstances and in fact are disposable should they be inconvenient to us, and that any outrageous behaviors are not sin, but disorders for which we should be excused and accommodated. I realize my viewpoint sounds out-dated and archaic, but when that world view was the foundation of our nation’s social contract, we got in trouble at school for talking in class, chewing gum, pulling a girl’s pigtails, or slouching in our school desks. We took guns to school, to be sure, but they were in the gun racks of our trucks and we used them to hunt before and after school. It never occurred to us to use them to murder our teachers and fellow students. So yes, I can stand the contempt and criticism of the left. I’ll gladly accept their scorn as they substitute creative language with a steady stream of profanity-laced tirades that I’m an idiot, a throwback to the past, and a person who should be forever silenced. But when we as a nation feared God, we didn’t fear that a 20 year old with a high powered rifle would gun down our children in their schoolrooms.


Thanks for posting this, Mike!  I could not have said it better!  I am honored to be an "idiot" right along with you. 

On another sad note, God called sweet little Henry home tonight.  It was not the "miracle" I was hoping and praying for.  I am so sad for his sweet family who will somehow have to go on without him.

I just love this picture of Henry singing to his Aunt (and my sweet friend) just a few days ago. 

This comes after so many tragic events this week, and I can't help but think God is calling home his precious little children one by one...perhaps to spare them from a greater tragedy that might be coming.  I'm not trying to be all doom and gloom over here, but I believe that God uses all things for His good.  I believe that these little children are saved from further pain and hurt in this world.



I loved this little poem someone else shared tonight:

Twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38
when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.
Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.

They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
They were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.
They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
"Where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.
"This is heaven." declared a small boy. "We're spending Christmas at God's house."
When what to their wondering eyes did appear,
but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.
Then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
And in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring
Those children all flew into the arms of their King
and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.
And as if He could read all the questions she had
He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."
Then He looked down on earth, the world far below
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe.
Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"
"May this country be delivered from the hands of fools"
"I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"
Then He and the children stood up without a sound.
"Come now my children, let me show you around."
Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.
All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
And i heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
"In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA