“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