From The Pastors Corner

Friday, May 04, 2007

Dear Editor:

Our hearts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre. This cruel and senseless act has made an impact upon many throughout our country. Investigators are trying to make sense out of this crime and are trying to discover a motive for the action of this young student. There is an effort to put blame on the police, the school, the parents, the medical community, and the gun dealer and gun control laws. In reality the blame rests with the perpetrator alone. I do not believe that the investigators will be able to discover a motive since such acts do not make any sense. They are irrational. They come from the heart of man and the Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9-10: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” None of us are able to discern the motives of others because only God knows the heart of man. We think that people are basically good and may do bad things, but the Bible presents man as basically evil and yet he may do good things. We are restrained by laws, religious teaching and circumstances, but if the influences that restrain us are removed we are capable of all kinds of evil. We read in Proverbs 22:15: “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.” Children need to be trained properly and corrected lovingly. We all come into this world with a tendency toward rebellion and only a heart transformation by the Spirit of God working through the Word of God can change this. David said in Psalm 51:5 & 7 & 10 (N.I.V.): “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me… Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow… Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Jesus came into this world to die for our sins and He arose from the grave to give us new life. We read in II Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” I hope that this tragedy will motivate all of us to search our own hearts to be sure that we have experienced this transformation and to pray to God that He would be merciful to us and those around us. We should also pray that God would bring comfort to the families and friends of those who died at Virginia Tech.

Respectfully,

Dr. Anthony L. Gibson

Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church

Darien, CT 06820

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