Tuesday evening my BFF told me that a 12 year old in our city had stabbed a 9 year old at a park, and the 9 year old had died.
He stabbed a stranger. With a knife. Repeatedly.
An innocent 9 year old. Playing at a park.
A 12 year old.
What possessed him to do such a thing? Such an evil act. At 12 years old.
If you pause to think about any of it, it is way overwhelming.
I mean OVERWHELMING.
Despair. Fear.
Brokenness for the innocent victim and his family. Brokenness for a 12 year old so off track that he would perpetrate such evil and pain.
I think about my kids. What if this happened to one of my kids? The pain of that scenario is unbelievable. Yet that is what a family is facing this week.
And then, this boy. This broken boy. What is his life like? His family like? That this would even cross his mind? What evil has been perpetrated upon him?
And parks. Parks. Play grounds. With your kids or without. It makes you want to shelter your kids even more. To protect them. To box them up until they are no longer defenseless. Which sounds good, but is totally not feasible.
It takes my breath away.
We have turned a blind eye to so much evil in our society. We have knowingly or unknowingly exposed our kids to graphic and violent video games and movies, television shows and song lyrics.
The line has become blurred between good and evil, real and surreal.
I fear there is no simple answer. No black and white solution.
No answer-except for Jesus Christ.
The Prince of Peace. The Sun of Righteousness risen with healing in His wings. The Light of the World. My Hope. My Shield and My Protector.
"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
