Under the Surface

Two stories in the news caught my attention over the weekend.  One was the obviously tragic shooting in Tucson, AZ in which six persons died, a Congresswoman and several others were wounded and hospitalized.

The second story was the conclusion of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  During the previous week 140,000+ people viewed the latest in electronic gadgets for improving lifestyles in our modern world.

In the ensuing aftermath of the former incident, there are voices crying for better gun control, less vitriol in the political arena and better protection for political leaders.  Fingers are being pointed at Sarah Palin and/or news media for inflaming people's feelings against various segments of our establishment.  Other voices are pleading for a more civil and unified discourse as we carry out the selection and business of government.

I am struck by two things as I reflect upon both of these happenings.  First of all, it seems that the more communication devices we develop, manufacture and sell, the less we are able to really connect with one another as individuals, as persons.  The more rapidly we let our thumbs poke out our messages, the more distant we become from opening our eyes and looking into the hearts and souls of one another.  This leads to the depersonalization of relationships and the impersonalization of the individual.

Secondly, these conditions only add to and deepen the underlying problem that surfaced in Tucson, Omaha, Boston and so many other scenes of violence lately.  That problem is the total lack of respect for the human person that has permeated our society.  It is impossible for individuals who have no respect for themselves to demonstrate any care or concern for those around them.  Those who have been raised in a culture of death--a society which refuses to care for its unborn, its veterans or its elderly--cannot be expected to manifest respect for their own generation, much less their leaders or elders.

We are merely reaping what we have sown over the last 40-50 years.  Without changes on our own personal levels, developing respect for each individual in our families, our neighborhoods, our workplaces and our churches, we will continue to experience the horrific and tragic kind of events that we have seen lately.  It all begins with a respect and love for ourselves.  Jesus says, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."