No longer very good

A week ago today was another mass shooting in the U.S., this time in Las Vegas. The conspiracy theories abound on what took place, but the fact remains that another 58 people were killed and hundreds of others were injured.

In Genesis 1:31, God looked at creation, everything in the universe, and called it very good. If you look to the original wording, He said it was exceedingly good, or perfect. It doesn't take much observation to see the world we live in today is not perfect by any means.

Large massacres of people by gunmen is almost starting to become common. However, smaller sometimes more personal tragedies such as cancer, suicide, and young children sustaining life altering injuries in car accidents are things we experience almost daily. Even when Jesus was on earth, we read in Luke 13 about people being killed by the governor and when a tower fell on them.

The question most people ask is why do these things happen? What is wrong with this once perfect world? The answer goes back to Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve, the head of all people, sinned against God. They said by their actions they wanted to do things their way and to leave God out of it, and the consequences were given.

As a result, God withdrew some of His sustaining power and allows some sins to occur. Now, all of creation groans as in childbirth until the present time (Romans 8). As the world continues to go against God's will, we continue to see sin and its results increase.

What should be our reaction when these events occur? As a consequence of sin, death entered the world and it is appointed once for every person to die, and then the judgment. Jesus' response to the tragedies He was asked about was to repent, or you will likewise perish. Therefore, these events should be a reminder that our time will come, most likely when we least expect it.

As I tell grade school students, living the quad life is not part of the original very good creation. However, God has not left us as orphans and we can still serve Him and follow His commands. May everyone continue to do this in the week to come as well as whatever time we have been given.