Bend, Oregon residents are in shock over the suicide of a young Bend High School student, who shot himself to death in a modular classroom with other students present on February 7. Those students who witnessed the shooting have been traumatized to a life-changing degree and will likely never be able to erase the image of this tragic event from their minds. Professional counseling has already begun to help them recover emotionally and move forward in their young lives.

Our hearts go out to these students and their families, especially to the parents and family of the suicide victim, who should have had a whole lifetime ahead of him.

Much will be written on this latest school shooting expressing shock and sorrow. But another lesson that I hope that can be learned from this is to realize the tragic reality of violence. So much of what is considered and actually enjoyed as entertainment on TV and movies involves increasingly graphically portrayed violence and death. Coming face to face with violence and death in real life should remind us all that violence and death should be mourned, not glorified as entertainment. Sadly this begins with small children watching violent cartoons with the dynamics of humor, thereby initiating an unhealthy connection between violence and entertainment.

I am reminded of lyrics of a folk song from years back, "How many deaths will it take 'til we know that too many people have died?"

Many wonder why God allows such violence. Is the answer to that question the same as for those lyrics? Is it because we need to learn to stop glorifying and enjoying violence and seek to understand what we can do, or better yet what God can do, to prevent violence and death?

The song plaintifully laments, "When will they ever learn?

Thankfully, God has a plan to put an end to violence of all kinds and to usher in an era of health and happiness, peace and prosperity (Isaiah 65:17-25). And all those who have died will live again to enjoy long, happy, healthy lives in a safe environment (Isaiah 25:8-10). My favorite scripture speaks of a future time when, "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:4). May God speed that day!

To understand why God allow such violence and His plan to end all kinds of suffering, please see these other blogs I have posted: "Why did God allow the Sandy Hook school shootings?" and "How and when school shootings will cease" and read the Bible study aid "Why Does God Allow Suffering?"