Mumbo Jumbo

After the Uvalde, TX, elementary school shooting in May of 2022, I wrote the following post but never posted it. I never could get the words quite right, and eventually I just kind of shelved it and forgot about it. 

Today, after receiving news about an elementary school shooting in my hometown of Nashville, TN, it seemed like time to revisit it. 

Here goes. . . 

Mumbo Jumbo

I read a Facebook post the other day that got me all tied up in knots. 

The post, in reaction to the recent elementary-school shooting in Uvalde, suggested that gun control and mental health initiatives as means of preventing such acts of terror were a bunch of "mumbo jumbo" and went on to list what kids these days actually need in order not to become mass murderers. 

The list included wonderful things such as riding bikes with neighbors and cousins, making s'mores, attending Sunday school, watching fireworks, eating popcorn, getting good discipline, doing chores, eating home-cooked meals, taking trips to Arlington, and having parents and grandparents who are dedicated to each other and to God.

In summary, if a child is not to become a mass murderer, he needs only faith, family, food, and fun in as idyllic a setting as possible.

I can see why people are reposting this. It is a beautiful sentiment. And for parents and grandparents who are able to produce this kind of life for the children entrusted to them, it is a great reminder to do so. 

However--

Many children do not and will not have that kind of life. 

Many must contend with unidyllic surroundings, unidyllic families, and unidyllic mental states. 

Shaking our fists at a lack of family values will not create stronger families. Shaking our fists at chemical imbalances does nothing to correct them. We can point out what is missing from other people's lives all day, and we can even try to shed some love on their situations and plant some seeds of change. 

But seeds don't yield fruit overnight.

So in the mean time, what are we doing to protect those kids we're making s'mores for?

The thing is, people on every side of these debates like to act like the problems our country faces have a simple solution--but they don't. 

As Christians we know that Jesus is the answer. But that attractive sound bite has no meaning to those who don't know Him, especially when those who claim to know Him refuse to be His hands and feet. 

These are complicated problems with complicated solutions. 

As an illustration, I'm going to ask that you follow me down a rabbit hole for a minute and think just a bit about another complicated and multifaceted issue:

Wellness.

Most people want to be healthy. Some people like the idea of wellness but sacrifice their health because they prefer not to make any changes to their lifestyle. Or maybe they feel like wellness is a game of roulette and simply out of their control anyway, so why bother?

Other people are willing to put in a little effort to stay healthy--say follow some basic dietary guidelines and/or get a little exercise now and then--and maybe their biometrics are a little bit better as a result.

But then there are people so passionate about wellness they'll do just about anything in pursuit of health. From diet and exercise to vitamins and supplements to meditation and essential oils to hydration and sleep studies to harnessing the earth's rhythms by unplugging from the Internet and walking around barefoot in the great outdoors.

Someone who is truly obsessed with health and wellness will attack health from all angles because it is a multifaceted issue, and they will do whatever it takes (or whatever it might take) to increase their chances of getting and staying well. Why? Because it might be the difference between life and death.

If we are passionate about our kids, shouldn't we put at least that much effort into their safety?

I think most people want children to be safe. 

But sadly, some people like the idea of child safety but sacrifice it because they prefer not to make any changes to their lifestyle. Or maybe they feel like child safety is a game of roulette and simply out of their control anyway, so why bother?

Other people are willing to put in a little effort to keep children safe--maybe say a few extra prayers, be more intentional, and invest more in the children in their immediate circles. And those are all good things. 

But if we are passionate about the safety of our children, we will attack the problem from every angle because it is a multifaceted issue, and we will explore each of those facets with the hope of reaching a solution. Why? Because it just might be the difference between life and death.

Creating stronger families and giving every child a fun, love-filled existence is an excellent goal.

But while we're working on that, let's see what else we can do. 

I am not suggesting we overturn the 2nd Amendment.

However, in much of our country, weapons--like those used to blast popcorn popping, s'mores-eating second graders out of the lives of their Bible-loving families in Uvalde--are easier to obtain than the mental healthcare that just might make a disturbed individual think twice before picking up a weapon.  

Let's change that. 

Let's look again at all that mumbo jumbo and maybe, just maybe, we'll increase our chances.