Responding to Mass Shooters
Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, your gates Praise. (Isaiah 60:18)
I’ve shared previously that Jill and I were nearly in the middle of a mass shooting in Palm Bay, Florida, back in 1987. Six people, including one of the church members I served, died, and 14 more were injured. Jill and I decided not to pick up shrimp for dinner at Publix at the last minute. Minutes later, we heard numerous gunshots from my apartment. Whenever I hear about the next mass shooting, my mind goes back over 36 years to that horrific moment.
So, when I saw the article title, “Why do mass shooters kill? It’s about more than having a grievance,” I had to read further. Arie Kruglanski, a Psychology professor at the University of Maryland, helps provide more information on the troubled minds of mass shooters. First, according to Dr. Kruglanski, mass shooters are on a sick “Quest for significance.” These individuals feel insignificant and feel the loss of control of their lives. For example, William Cruse, the mass shooter in Palm Bay, had a wife who was dying, and he was bitter, feeling out of control.
Other mass shooters desire a “Shortcut to stardom.” The shooters feel like failures in life, so they want to feel powerful and irrationally believe the only way to be remembered is through violence. Finally, these ignored or undervalued individuals desire celebrity. Sadly, in our social media society, any dysfunctional person can find other like-minded people who encourage and applaud violent behavior. These ignored or forgotten individuals can now feel valued by misguided or dangerous peers.
Today, pray for mental health coverage in our world. Further, pray for the Christian Church to maximize its unique gift to provide value and care to others. I often wonder if the congregation I served knew Mr. and Mrs. Cruse and met their emotional and spiritual needs, would violence and death have been avoided? God calls churches to look within our communities, to young and old alike, and seek to meet human needs. The more we take time to listen and respond, the more God will guide us to the people in greatest need. Hopefully, we can stall the increase in mass shootings by reaching out before angry dysfunction takes over the life of the mentally vulnerable.