disaster averted - no children were shot

today an automated call came from the superintendent of my children's school district that a child planned to bring guns to school today, but was averted and arrested. No further details could be told she said.

We were snowed in and school was canceled anyway. When you get a call like that, it is quite chilling. You wonder why things are so unsafe, even among the world of children. You start to list the many reasons why. Video games? Cable tv? The abundance of glorified violence? Lack of proper bonding? No mentors? Dysfunctional families?

Improper spiritual formation? (certainly). From my perspective, of course, I'll end up here because I study this. I see all problems as spiritual ones at their root. And are they not? When we cannot live with each other, or we wish to hurt each other, that is a spiritual problem. It comes out as a criminal problem. It gets met by law enforcement. It becomes punished by what is called justice, but really is largely secular retribution and recompense.

Will this young person be healed? Will he (or she, but we all know this is highly unlikely. Don't boys cry in bullets?) be soon reinstated into loving community, found, and healed? That is his only hope really. Will he find his way because he realizes what grace is, what love is, what forgiveness is? Or will he grow hard and cold? Will he stay lost? Will he stay hateful?

People are scared. It's strange to live in a place that seems safe, but of course is like any other place, normal, which means, American, and therefore chaotic and prone to violence.

I'm glad disaster was averted. I hope no one will hope to copy him on a day when bad weather isn't a factor that changes the day.

My mind is spinning.