Several years ago in Washington D.C., a 19 year-old girl was shot because she accidentally bumped a bicycle rider off his bike at a busy intersection. The young man approached her, the two argued, and then he pulled out a pistol and shot her in the head, killing her. Stories like this make us shudder all over. The all-important but elusive question plagues our minds: Why? Although the young man may never answer that question in his own words, the answer is all too apparent. It was due to a lack of self-control. Rather than gracefully accepting the girl’s apology and both of them going their separate ways and being more careful the next time, this young man brutally ended this girl’s life.
Justice was indeed served, but this may will be paying his debt to society for years to come. The severe penalties which the man knew would occur did nothing to hinder him from committing this atrocity. When the moment of truth arrived, the laws of society could not stop this death.
Society will never get any better until there are more Christians in it. All the punitive laws of the world cannot stop crime, but the simple words of the New Testament, imprinted upon the hearts of humble individuals, can change society. If this young man would have put into practice the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), this incident would have never happened. So if you are sick of hearing these stories, think of the difference the gospel could have made. Then get out and teach souls, which will in turn make a real difference in the community.
Kyle Campbell