Life Is a Highway: Where do we go from Newtown?

The past few days there have been tons of blogs, posts on social networks, news articles, television commentary and so much more.  All the stages of grief are being covered for all of us. Denial...this couldn't happen in America.  Anger...people lashing out at gun owners and gun owners lashing out at those who don't own guns.  And the obvious, anger at the mentally challenged man who did this.  Bargaining...this is represented in all the solutions that are being thrown around from gun control laws to concealed carry talk.  Depression...most of us are realizing with a glum and dread that our country is out of control and we are saddened that the next generation of kids will not know the America of the Beaver, Spanky, Fonzy or Opie.  Acceptance...this is the one we can't settle for.  This is where most of us are at.  And the President has finally found something that is bi-partison...we can't just Accept this.

So now we have to push ourselves to remember that Acceptance is just a Dead End Road in this situation.  We can't just say in two years, "Remember Newtown?"  If we do we will be comparing it to the next one.  Most likely, it won't even take two years.  But if we can't Accept it then "Where do we go from Newtown?"

I think the President's slogan may have a prophetic direction...Forward.  We have to remember that LIFE is a Highway.  We can't sit still on this one.  We have to pick up and move on.  Sure, we may put new laws in place, new precautions.  Or we may find that we need to revisit some old ways.  But sitting at a Dead End is not an option.

Now to get away from the metaphor let me focus on the LIFE part.  No matter where we go with this event the one thing that we MUST do is regain the importance of LIFE.  Guns are not the issue.  Lack of prayer in school is NOT the issue. (I will touch on that in a moment).  The issue is a total disrespect for LIFE.  I posted the following on my Facebook page the other night in response to a  friends disgust with people politicizing this issue:

"Whether it is gun control or pro-life people politicizing things. I posted something about abortion in relation to this issue, but it was not in a judgmental way. It was compassionate. The greater issue in our country is are total loss for respect for LIFE. That includes shooters in schools, drunken drivers, spousal abuse, child abuse, total gutting of mental health services, extremely violent video games, popular movies like SAW, and the list goes on. We have desensitized ourselves in EVERY way. Abortion on demand is but one piece in this puzzle. Shame on those who focus on abortion only and blame people for it. But shame on those who ignore abortion in the name of rape, incest and the life of the mother. These are the areas we must come together on. Less than 8% of all abortions are for this reason. One every 26 seconds. 3,000 a day! We can all compromise and raise the standards for protecting life. I have even found myself rethinking my position on the death penalty. Taking another life is the horror of all of this. Conservatives disturb me when they have a self-righteous attitude. I heard some say that we should expect this to happen when we take God out of schools? Really? Last time I checked Jesus confronted evil. I am convinced that his 'suffer the little children' speech didn't keep his presence out of schools just because a court decision took prayer out of schools. Besides, Scripture teaches that 'where two or three are gathered in my name I am in the midst of them'. That means that many of these innocent children were reason enough for his loving kindness to be there. I apologize for the self-righteous and I mourn the loss of ALL children, in the womb and out."

Jesus declared, "I came to give Life and Life more abundantly."  All of us can agree that what happened in Newtown, Aurora, Virginia Tech, and Columbine were not "Life" and definitely not more "Life more Abundantly".  But perhaps the biggest issue is we need to search for the source of Life, Jesus.  We are in a serious need of a Great Awakening!  Even the term Awakening implies being ALIVE!  We need our country to turn back to a loving God who can perform some deep surgery on our hearts.  Who declares that he will "replace our hearts of stone with one of flesh"; allowing us to feel again.

I am not saying that I believe everyone will follow Jesus or even accept this as the way to heal our culture.  But what if just most of us did?  What if just SOME of is did?  If we could just see the churches that do exist have a renewed love for the things of God.  Have a renewed fervor for taking care of the poor, the lost and the dying.  Have a renewed vigor for the protection of the Womb.  And I don't mean demanding no abortion in any case.  Don't get me wrong, I, too, believe in no abortion.  But what if we came to the table and said we'll compromise on rape, incest and the LIFE of the mother?  And in that process demanded that we will leave women's choice alone as long as they go through a period of counseling (priests and preachers as legitimate resources) and a consult with a doctor.  Truth is, that while aborting a child that was conceived in violent and violating acts like rape and incest is wrong, so is being heartless in understanding the trauma that these women go through.  And, as part of that counseling, let adoption be promoted as a viable option.  Wait, did I just use viable?  That is another word for LIFE.

Simply put, Newtown's will happen less often if we raise the value of LIFE.  In the meantime let's move Forward and pray desperately that the people of Newtown and especially the family of Sandy Hook Elementary School can move Forward from this lifeless experience.  Jesus come and give us Life and Life more Abundantly!!!