“They Became Fools”

So, another mass shooting makes the headlines.  Cue the calls for gun control, etc.  But another shooting story has been renewed in the headlines over the weekend.  I missed it when it happened in 2023, but apparently a six-year-old boy shot his teacher in the classroom after showing the gun he was carrying around school all day.  The news of this incident has renewed as body cam footage from one of the cops that came to the scene shows the boy behaving in ways unimaginable for a six-year-old and a teacher’s assistant treating the extremely foul-mouthed and hostile boy as if he had just committed another minor infraction – like throwing a crayon at a girl.  I am fairly certain a writer for The Twilight Zone could not have conceived of the scene – it is truly unreal.

This latter story raises two extremely important questions.  One, what was this boy’s home like that he could learn such behavior at such a tender age?  Two, what in the world possessed school officials to ignore a six-year-old carrying a gun all day and then coddle him when he used it?

As to the first question, I am not sure there is a direct answer other than Satanic influence.  I am sure the boy came from a broken family, full of drug abuse and violence and poverty – that’s the typical, if inadequate, story for violent teens.  But six-year-olds?! – there has got to be more to the story.  The boy currently resides with his great-grandfather, but I fear if he will ever be a functioning adult.

As to the second question, a Bible verse immediately jumped to my mind, “Claiming to be wise, they became fools.”  What else could explain the behavior of this seemingly enlightened educational institution?  They thought they had a better idea than the obvious one – which is take the gun from the kid and call the cops.  Or were they actually afraid the kid would shoot them and too chicken to approach? – in which case, just call the cops.

That verse I just quoted is deeply out-of-context.  It is a part of a longish passage not often cited these days.  I have written all week about the moral depravity and bankruptcy we are experiencing currently.  That passage puts such in very clear focus.  I think I will leave it here for your contemplations:

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures.

Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.  For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature, and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations with women and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing shameful acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper, people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

The good news is if we but only see fit to acknowledge God, He will welcome us back.