Let us stand united...

Lady Wisdom: O people! I am calling to you; I have a message for all humanity.  You gullible people, acquire insight.  You naive ones, cultivate a heart that truly understands.  Listen, for I am about to tell you of unparalleled excellence and beauty; what I am about to say will set things right.  I will only speak the truth; I despise evil, so it will not pass through my lips. Everything I say promotes justice; not one word is crooked, and nothing is distorted.  Each and every word is straight talk to perceptive people, upright and honest to knowledge-seekers.  Accept my correction as being more valuable than your prized possession,
authentic knowledge more valuable than pure gold.  (Proverbs 8:4-10 VOICE)

As news breaks of even more senseless actions in which police officers are shown using what might come right down to excessive force, we face the wake of violence which comes when people feel wronged and mistreated.  To strike out against any innocent man or woman is just wrong, though.  Today's message may be hard for some, but please hear it in the spirit in which it is being written.  Law enforcement officers everywhere are counting on us to be mindful of several things: 1) not all men or women wearing a badge are corrupt, violent, or determined to exert excessive force or perpetrate violence; and 2) nothing good ever comes of violence begetting more violence.  Whenever we react to violence with more violence, in the heat of emotion, from a heart hurting deeply for others who may have been wronged unnecessarily, we run the risk of crossing the line - and it might not be easy to step back on the other side of that line!

It is indeed horrific to see any law-abiding individual gunned down - whether it be by someone with "terrorist intent", "mental issues", or just acting out in "rage" or even fear.  It is probably even more horrific to see one person's actions become the "measuring stick" by which we find ourselves measuring all others in a profession, or who profess to a particular religious affiliation, or who bear the appearance one might expect of "that type" of individual.  Innocent, upright, and extremely good individuals are being harmed because of the actions of a few who have crossed that unseen "line".  Violence cannot help but be the influence by which more violence is returned - unless we embrace the teaching of "Lady Wisdom" - for every word which proceeds from the mouth of God will promote justice.

It would be easy to strike out against those who promote injustices to any individual, but it is not wisdom's way to strike out - to retaliate.  It is wisdom's way to reach out in order to correct - to set right again what has become corrupted in anyway.  Lives cannot be given back once lost - deep chasms of loss will be felt by many in the wake of violent acts much longer than the media will bring us the reports of those losses.  Orlando's victims and those who lost lives in senseless police shootings will be soon forgotten by many, just as those lives lost in the World Trade Center's violence have been.  Oh yes, those memories might linger on in the recesses of our minds, but the majority of society moves on - concerned with matters pressing in upon them today - no longer able to spend valuable resources of time or energy on that which now belongs in the past.

Let us not grow callous to the injustices around us, though.  Let us take up a stand in prayer and vigilant watchfulness over our nation.  Let us stand, not in reactive posture, but in proactive posture - that which begins in prayer and ends in finding ways to mend what has been broken by the seemingly senseless actions of some.  Let us guard against judging "all" by the intentions and actions of only a "few".  Let us shed light, so darkness is not free to permeate.  Let us lean heavily upon the wisdom of God's Word so that we might find our way as a nation once again.  Just prayin!