The Killing Fields

Thou shalt not kill...

Exodus 20:13

My daughter chose accounting/auditing as her career path, and she currently works in Washington, D.C. as a consultant to the Federal Government.  She visits a wide variety of government facilities in her daily activities - one of which is the Navy Yard.  Thankfully, she was not there last Monday when Aaron Alexis began shooting in Building 197.  When all was said and done, he had taken 12 lives, then forfeited his own in a hail of gunfire.  His goal:  to kill as many people as possible.  His motive?  Unknown.

This morning, masked gunmen burst into a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, killing at least 39 people and injuring many others.  Their goal:  To kill as many people as possible. Their motive: To force Kenya to withdraw troops from Somalia.  Seemingly endless examples of such tragedies are plastered all over the Internet and the news.

When God delivered to Moses the "rules"  (10 commandments) that should govern human existence, the sixth one in line was You shall not murder.  That heavenly regulation has become earthly law in every civilized nation on earth.  Outside of a war zone (a different topic altogether), no human being has the right to take another human being's life.  I do not have the authority to decide when your life should end, and vice versa. 

More than that - I do not have the right to force you to pay for my pain.  Every person on earth will, at some time in their lives, experience pain, heartache, tragedy, and grief - some far more brutally than others.  Every life is marked with grievances, slights, rudeness, and inequality.  Believing that hurting my neighbor will somehow lessen my misery is an emotional error with devastating consequences.

Jesus said, Come unto me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. God offers comfort and peace in our times of depression, anguish, and pain.  Anger and a weapon (of any kind) only bring further misery and suffering.