Zechariah 7:8-10
Then this message came to Zechariah from the Lord: “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Andrew Solomon, author of Far From the Tree, recently interviewed Peter Lanza for a piece in The New Yorker magazine. Lanza is the father of Adam Lanza, the shooter at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012. Far From the Tree is a book about children who are different from their parents...and how these parents cope with their children and the challenges they present. In some cases, the children became criminals - like Adam Lanza.
Andrew Solomon noted that Peter Lanza has (understandably) struggled with what happened at Newtown, where Adam also killed his mother (Lanza's ex-wife Nancy) before killing himself. Lanza has made the comment that he now wishes that Adam had never been born...and he apparently claims that he doesn't mourn Adam's death.
I am trying to understand this…to put myself in the shoes of Peter Lanza. There are reports that parents of some of Adam Lanza’s victims have approached Peter and told him that they forgive Adam…but Peter apparently cannot accept this compassion and mercy. And again, I think I can somewhat understand those feelings. Peter Lanza must surely feel incredibly guilty - and ask himself daily what could have been done to prevent this horrific event. Adam Lanza suffered from Asperger’s syndrome – a form of autism – and may have also been schizophrenic. I don’t say this to excuse his heinous crimes…but I do propose that his parents might have done everything humanly possible to keep Adam and everyone else safe – and still, this happened. Some things are simply beyond our control.
I think what struck me about this story – and this scripture passage from Zechariah – is that we must learn not to question things so much…or maybe we are asking the wrong questions. Instead of asking “Why, LORD?” or “Why me?”…let’s ask, “What are You doing with this?” Let’s look at how God can use all circumstances in our lives for HIS purposes…and let’s operate with fairness, mercy and kindness in every situation. Instead of asking God why He allowed a man or woman to die and leave a spouse, let’s ask, “What can I do for the widows in my church or community? How can I help them?” Instead of shaking our heads and wagging our tongues about orphans and foster children and their plight, let’s roll up our sleeves and ask, “What needs to be done for these children?” Let’s discover how God can use these innocents to enrich OUR lives as we minister to them.
Rather than be so upset about “foreigners” and the poor among us…let’s work on how to help them. What if we asked God to show us how we are supposed to respond and react toward these people for HIS glory, rather than gripe and grumble about their presence…and make things even worse for them?! Suppose we got busy asking the right questions and learning about others and their needs…then worked to find solutions and ways to truly help.
Instead of trying to figure out how to get even with others…or how to outsmart “the system”…suppose we worked together with love, compassion, grace, mercy and forgiveness – and found real, viable solutions and ways to share Jesus’ love with others. Understand that I am NOT saying we shouldn’t look for ways to keep guns out of the hands of children and others who might use them for evil. I do not mean to imply that we should turn and look the other way…and just “let the chips fall” – or excuse true laziness or an illegal or immoral act. But I do believe we must quit trying to wish away unpleasant or difficult people and circumstances - and face them head-on…“with the full armor of God”.
Jesus never shied away from anyone or any situation. In Jesus Christ, we find the perfect demonstration of how to conduct our own lives…and how to serve Him in the process. We have work to do! It’s time to get up and get going…to be about the business of loving others in Jesus’ name and sharing His Good News. Are you awake and alert? Is your heart filled with compassion, grace, mercy and forgiveness through Jesus? Are you really ready for the work of serving others? Isn’t it time you were?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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