The 11th Commandment

In the car, on the way Christmas shopping tonight, I heard a Collin Raye song that lifted my spirits a little... gave me a little inspiration. I was going to come home and write about this. But, when I got home, I couldn't recall the name of the song. So, I Googled Collin Raye discography, and went to his site, and saw the name of one of his songs that I don't recall ever hearing before. So, I looked it up on YouTube. This song definitely is not the uplifting one.... but it is one which deserves to be heard and shared.

There will be no uplifting sermon right now. There will be no sermon at all. Instead, I ask you all to
1) Follow this link to Collin Raye's song "The Eleventh Commandment"
2) If you wish, follow along with the lyrics (posted below)
3) And most importantly... say a prayer for all the children in situations such as these (and, maybe throw in a prayer for the adult survivors of situations such as these... we can use the prayers too)

"The Eleventh Commandment"

Collin Raye

She hears his heavy breathing in the dark
His footsteps coming closer down the hall
She's so ashamed, she's daddy's secret love
She wants to cry, she wants to die, but he can't get enough
The bruises on his face will go away
Mom keeps him home from school till they fade
She's sorry he was born and tells him so
He takes it in, he hangs his chin, he ducks another blow

Did God overlook it
What ought have been written
The eleventh commandment
Honor thy children

He cries for hours, cries and never stops
He shakes so hard his little cradle rocks
He'll never have the chance to be brand new
He'll never walk, he'll never talk, he's addicted too

Did God overlook it
What ought have been written
The eleventh commandment
Honor thy children

Thou shalt not kill
Thou shalt not steal
Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain
Thou shalt not cause thy children pain

God does not overlook it
What ought have been written
The eleventh commandment
Honor thy children
Honor thy children

Where was God?

Yesterday morning, a young man entered an elementary school, opening fire. He killed 6 adults, 16 six year olds and 4 seven year olds before killing himself.

This senseless act that stole so many innocent lives has left me, and many others, wondering why. Wondering where was God. Wondering what it takes for someone to commit such a horrible act.

Whenever something good happens - a child is born, a life is saved, etc - we praise and thank the Lord. But when something evil happens - a monster opens fire in an elementary school, for example - we pray for the families of the lost. Why doesn't anyone speak up and say the question we're all wondering - Why the hell did God allow this to happen in the first place?

Don't get me wrong... I do pray for the families of the lost. I pray they find peace. I pray the survivors find the courage to return to that school, and can overcome the fear and loss of their sense of security. But I also find myself wondering why.

I have tried asking a few people this question... and of course, the question is ignored. No one has the answer. It's easy to say God did wonderful things and that we should thank him. It's easy to say that God can do wonderful things, and that we should pray for these things. Apparently it's not so easy to answer the question "Why did God let this happen?"

I've heard and read that it isn't that God makes bad things happen. Bad things happen because God gave mankind freedom. So basically, man is to blame - or the devil - when bad things happen. But then why is God to be praised when good things happen? Or why doesn't God step in to stop bad things from happening?

Where was God when some monster pulled the trigger, killing 20 six and seven year old children?