“On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: if you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here where you are imprisoned. The rest of you shall go and carry grain for the famine of your households, and bring your youngest brother to me. Thus your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they agreed to do so. They said to one another, “Alas, we are paying the penalty for what we did to our brother; we saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this anguish has come upon us.” Then Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to wrong the boy? But you would not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” They did not know that Joseph understood them, since he spoke with them through an interpreter. He turned away from them and wept; then he returned and spoke to them. And he picked out Simeon and had him bound before their eyes. Joseph then gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This was done for them. They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed. When one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money at the top of the sack. He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in my sack!” At this they lost heart and turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?” Genesis 42:18-28

School Shooting Number 9:

 “New Orleans Police are investigating a shooting outside of a Gentilly high school Monday (Jan. 22) that left one 14-year-old boy injured with a “superficial” abrasion wound.

Police said someone in a dark pickup truck drove by The NET Charter High School, in the 6600 block of Franklin Avenue, and fired while a group of students were in front of the school, in the parking lot. The shooting took place about 1:30 p.m., principal Elizabeth Ostberg said. One boy was injured: While police initially said the 14-year-old had a graze wound from a bullet, NOPD later said that the boy’s injury to his elbow was not consistent with a gunshot graze and was actually an abrasion. During their investigation, police found that one of the students who had been standing with the group that was in front of the school tested positive for gunshot residue on their hands, NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison said. Another student, who had not been with that group, was found to be in possession of live ammunition and will be arrested, Harrison said. The school was placed on lockdown for a few hours following the shooting, but students could be seen leaving the campus at about 4:20 p.m.  (Shots fired outside The NET Charter High School, 1 student has abrasion injury: NOPD, nola.com

I remember standing just outside the school office when I was a middle-schooler, when a car drove by the school and the occupants of the car waved inappropriate hand gestures out the car window. I was horrified – as only a middle-schooler could be horrified. I remember wondering how much trouble they would be in if they were caught, and who would even do such a thing? My, how far we have come in just 45 years. I also remember when a bomb threat was called into my high school – and everyone was evacuated so they could investigate. As we stood outside the school, the students began to buzz about who might have called in the threat. If my memory serves me right, if was fairly well known among the students who might have been the perpetrator(s) – but if asked, no one would have been honest and told the authorities who it was.

Apparently not much has changed since the 1970’s. In one local school district, classes were canceled for three days after a threat was called into the school – and there does not appear to be any break in the case toward knowing who made the threat. With all of the social media outlets, the Twitter accounts, FaceBook pages, and Snapchat accounts, still, no one knows who has made the threat. Or, at least, no one is willing to tell the truth.

After the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, it was soon evident that students had been discussing their fears about the alleged shooter for many years. They had expressed their fears with teachers and parents alike, but in the end, sharing their concerns did not prevent their worst fears coming to fruition. One of the mantras that is being repeated throughout the country is “See something, Say something” – but if saying something leads to nothing, then many will discern that saying something will make no difference.  As a pastor, and a mandatory reporter, I can only hope the lesson our children DO NOT learn is that speaking up falls upon deaf ears. Of course, seeing the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School swarming the halls of congress and influencing companies to end their support of the NRA, well, maybe this new generation is finding their voice after all.

Pastor Dave

“You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.  Psalm 91:1-10

School Shooting Number 8:

“A 15-year-old girl who was wounded in the Italy High School shooting is “in good spirits,” and the 16-year-old boy suspected of opening fire in the cafeteria has been charged as a juvenile with aggravated assault, officials said Tuesday. School District superintendent Lee Joffre told reporters outside Italy High School that he visited the girl at a Dallas hospital. The teenage boy who was arrested not long after the shooting Monday morning at the school south of Dallas was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, the Ellis County district attorney’s office announced Tuesday. A preliminary hearing in juvenile court is scheduled for Wednesday. He was being held at a juvenile detention center.” (Texas teen charged with assault in Italy High School shooting, Associated Press story)

Most parents like to think that when their child leaves the house for school – whether on the bus, or walking, or riding with a friend – that their child will arrive without being harmed in any way. And while their child is actually on the school property, parents again expect that their child will be safe. This has been the expectation of parents for hundreds of years – but not so much anymore. With the increase of incidents of mass shootings on and off school campuses, all American’s today have some level of concern about gun violence?

In the United States in 2014, 10,900 people died from an assault by a handgun, rifle, shotgun, larger firearm or unspecified firearm discharge. This accounted for 3.4 deaths per 100,000 people, the CDC reported. Cancer accounted for 592,000 deaths or 186 deaths per 100,000 people, while influenza and pneumonia accounted for 55,000 deaths or 17 per 100,000 people. In others words, it is still much more likely that someone we know will die of cancer or the flu then will be killed in a shooting – school or otherwise.

I know these statistics do nothing to relieve any fear about the epidemic of mass shootings and gun violence our society has been forced to endure since the Columbine shootings. A lot of money and research hours are spent on the causes and the treatment of cancer. But mass shootings are more like airplane crashes than cancers – there are very few, but they receive a lot of attention when they happen. And just like cancer, the cause of these shootings is just as elusive. Some blame the availability of guns – especially assault style rifles in our country. Others blame the inadequate resources for mental health treatment. And still others blame the breakdown of the family unit in our country today.

My belief is this: if we want to feel safe about ourselves and our children in our country in the future, then we need to unite as a country under the blessings of G-d. No matter your faith tradition, there is some inherent teaching about love and the inherent dignity of all people. As for me, I will continue to preach that we work together to stop the violence and spread the love of G-d found in Jesus Christ.

Pastor Dave