Why now?

I was under the impression that these mass killings, horrible traumas are new to the human experience.  I started to wonder how did we all go so wrong so fast?  Then I researched it.  I thought it all started w/ the World Trade Center bombings in February 1993.  Then in 1995 there was the Murrah Federal Building in
Oklahoma City.  Then we had the school shootings in Mississippi, Kentucky, Arkansas, Oregon, and we all know about Columbine High School in Colorado.  Then in 1999 there was the mass shooting at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Texas.  Next we revisit the World Trade Center on 9-11.  In 2002 snipers terrorized Washington DC residents. Then the natural disasters of 4 hurricanes in four weeks tore apart Florida in 2004.  In 2005 Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans quickly followed by Rita.  I'm sure I missed a few.  But this is what I discovered in the first part of my research.

I wondered ... could this have been a part of our lives all along and we just didn't put it together for whatever reason.  One of my trauma counseling books had the answer.  In Luke 13:1-5 we overhear Jesus and his followers discussing a mass killing of worshippers during a religious service committed by Pilate and another traumatic event when the tower of Siloam fell and 18 people died. In Exodus we read about the 10 plagues. The people must have thought the end of the world was coming.  What horrific traumas and the final one being the death of all first born sons.  Then we have the great flood.  Esther tells the story of genocide.  Jeremiah cries for God's people to turn to fountain of living water and live.  John wrote the book of Revelation while in prison like many other Christians being persecuted in his day.  He wrote the book to encourage them that God will win, have faith God wins in the end.  The Bible tells of one traumatic event after the next.  Mass killings, horrible mass traumas are not new.  They are as old as humanity.

There are some differences though.  Today, the world is so much smaller.  Thanks to technology we know about a devastating Tsunami in India within minutes of it hitting land.  We watch children being evacuated from a school while the shooters are still active inside even though the school is a thousand miles away.  We watch as the second plane slams into the other tower.  Then we relive it over and over and over and over if we don't turn off all technology for the day.  And we are left with the question, "Why?", "Why here, why now?"  We wonder how is it possible with all of our advances, why can't we stop things like this from happening?  Why can't we anticipate these things and stop them before they happen?"  "Why?"

It's so easy to become frustrated, bitter, angry, enraged.  Anger, horror and frustration are normal and expected emotions to these abnormal experiences.  However, we need to find constructive outlets for our emotions or they will begin to control us and will become destructive in the course of our life and living.   It's important we don't just bury it and move on.  What is buried comes back to haunt us in the most in opportune times.  By dealing with our emotions and finding positive ways to express them and resolve them they will help us become stronger.  This process can also serve to strengthen our communities.  In my next blog, I'll talk about some ways to work through this process.

May you know God's blessings through all things.