“A Culture of Violence”

“A culture of violence.” That’s how Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans described the pervasive problem of shootings and violence in New Orleans.

The specific incident that he referred to was a series of gun battles over the city Halloween night when two people were killed and fourteen injured by gunfire.

Apparently, the second gun fight occurred shortly after midnight at one of Bourbon’s Street most popular locations. Police responded to a shootout in a crowd of costumed revelers. Eight people were wounded and one killed.

The next gunfight occurred when one man bumped into another. Then one of the men pushed the other. While one of the men walked away, the other pursued him. The first man then pulled a gun and fired thirty-two rounds, fatally wounding the other man. A New Orleans Times-Picayune editorial stated the obvious: “That anyone carries a weapon with such firepower is frightening.”

It shows us the end result of living without God. We have sowed the wind and we are reaping the whirlwind. We have tried to do things without God and we are getting the result.

The prophet Zephaniah talked about the Day of the Lord, “a day of distress and anguish,” “a day of darkness and gloom,” “a day when neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them” (Zeph. 1:15, 18). A life lived without God will be a culture of violence and self-centeredness. It will bring confusion to families and a destruction to our culture.

One last word from Mayor Landrieu: New Orleanians are fighting “a battle for the future of the city.”

It’s also a larger, more cosmic battle. It’s being fought against principalities and powers, against the prince of the power of the air, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Let us run the race so as to win the prize and to change the culture. And, let us not try to do this on our own, but let us be strong in the Lord and in the strenght of His might.

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2 Responses

  1. This is so timely. I forwarded it to my sister, Mary Abell, she told me she subscribed after reading it. I don’t respond often but I do read them all.

    And, David Thomas’ funeral today was especially meaningful, I know the Thomas family appreciated your words of confort.

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