Heavy rambling this morning…
- I write this morning from a position of questioning. Questioning due to lack of concrete answers, questioning due to my own slow and heavy processing…
- Question: in what measure can you understand the interests of others in this situation?
- For example: if your discussions about the latest tragedy have overlooked the trauma and grieving of an entire community (and by extension thousands of lives), then what is wrong with you? Seriously, what is wrong?
- How do you hear the activism of the students affected by the tragedy? Could their tangible hurt, grief, and anger possibly drive them to speak out for meaningful change?
- On the other side, might those angling for political gain see the trauma of teens and families as fertile ground for activism?
- Do you understand our media will thrive on our nation’s division, the screaming and shouting making great headlines and driving ratings?
- How can you use passionate conversations to unify?
- Do you realize not everyone will agree with you? Examples: Not every teacher will want to carry a gun; not every gun owner loves and funds the NRA; not every gun owner has the same opinion about semi-automatic weapons; not every school administrator comes to the table with the same beliefs about security; not every person who wants some guns outlawed falls into some demonized political camp.
- The bottom line: will we listen? Can we encourage healthy understanding and debate?
- Does “pro-life” as created by God really matter to us in this discussion? Why? How?
- Would someone listening to you have the ability to observe your priority for life over the importance of gun rights or other solutions you might propose?
- Do you have any understanding of mental health issues? What research and facts can you provide for preventing the mentally ill from harming themselves or others?
- Does love and care for the mentally ill drive how you speak of them in this issue?
- Do you understand how the trauma of this event will bring mental and emotional challenges for those involved for years to come?
- How should Christians speak differently in this discussion as our beliefs drive us?
- As the title of my blog challenges: how can we think and act in ways that show the world our worship of our Creator, Savior and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?