Authorities say Charles Carl Roberts IV had started buying supplies for a long siege six days before he stormed the tiny schoolhouse in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He made a checklist of what to bring and wrote out four suicide notes, one talking about how he was “filled with so much hate” and “unimaginable emptiness". As he stormed the little Amish schoolhouse he would end up taking 10 little girls hostage and finally shooting all of them, killing at least 5. Apparently the man had no quarrel with the Amish people and he gave off no signals that would have warned anyone of the emotional volcano stirring inside him. So what caused someone to commit such a vicious act?
I believe one of the phrases he penned in one of the suicide letters is an autobiographical explanation. He claimed to have molested two girls when he was twelve and he was also distraught over the death of his own month old daughter years ago. But he made a statement that was as chilling as it was Spiritually descriptive of millions of others, he wrote he was experiencing "unimaginable emptiness". Does that not reach the very core of your being?
As time continues to walk toward the end, more and more people will come to realize that same emptiness that Carl Roberts experienced on that sad day. Why are unexplainable acts of savagery happening more and more in our midst, and some by seemingly normal people who snapped? I believe there are two basic reasons, and both have their roots in Spiritual things. The Bible warns us about the last days, and it lets us know that the devil knows his end is near also. It is obvious that most if not all the millions of demons have now been loosed upon the earth. The multi-pronged demonic assault has accelerated around the world and each facet, although different in scope and target, is orchestrated by Lucifer himself, the original enemy of the Lord God and the counterfeit savior. Satan has used the Hollywood theatrics of demon possession to disguise his deceptive operations which sometimes closely resemble normalcy as well as sometimes proclaiming some truth.
But, as in the Amish murders, a man or woman can be filled with demons and appear normal and these demons have learned to bide their time and pick their spots. As was the case in Bethlehem, the devil seems to have a particular grudge against children, and the violent and sexual attack on the children of the world is a bloodcurdling sign that Lucifer has unleashed his most vigorous and final assault on mankind. Now when the devil takes possession of a person and reveals the emptiness of their life, he does it to destroy them. As that person despairs the devil tells them they have no hope and he suggests suicide, or even better, suicide while taking others with them. And children, an added bonus.
The other reason for the rise in violent desperation is that billions are coming face to face with their hopelessness. Drugs haven't fulfilled, alcohol hasn't fulfilled, success hasn't fulfilled, money hasn't fulfilled, religion hasn't fulfilled, politics hasn't fulfilled, global peace efforts haven't fulfilled, democracy hasn't fulfilled, education hasn't fulfilled, health hasn't fulfilled, entertainment hasn't fulfilled, sex hasn't fulfilled, philanthropy hasn't fulfilled, philosophy hasn't fulfilled, earthly heroes haven't fulfilled, environment protection hasn't fulfilled, and at the end of the day people are overwhelmed by a sense of emptiness which they continue to overcome with the emptiness of this world. And like pouring water on a grease fire, they only add to their Spiritual desolation and the devil invades their suggestive chat room and gleefully confirms their worst fears, they are without hope in this world. And people by the millions are walking with a tangible sense of unimaginable emptiness which can at any minute translate into behavior, fueled by the demonic.
But in the midst of this worldwide gothic play there shines an irresistible light that shines into the hearts of people around the world. You see when the devil shows people their utter emptiness he plans to steal, kill, and destroy. But when the Holy Spirit reveals the same emptiness to that same person He reveals the Blessed Hope, Jesus the Christ. I remember feeling completely empty and without purpose in 1975. I was masking the symptoms of my sin with more sin, but underneath it all was emptiness. I am sure the devil tried to destroy me and of course I was complicit in all of it, but one day I came face to face with my unimaginable emptiness which in reality is sinful separation from my Creator. The difference between my situation and the murderer of the Amish girls is that the devil showed him his hopelessness, but the Holy Spirit showed me my sinfulness and emptiness. And I heard (with heart ears) the Holy Spirit say to me "Jesus IS who He says He is!".
Although sanctification is a process, being born again is not. In March of 1975 my life was utterly changed and I have never been the same. Imperfect? Yes! Still growing? Yes! But dramatically changed? Yes, and Amen!!! Without Christ we all are filled with unimaginable emptiness that only the Hope of Glory can remove. That is why, brothers and sisters, we must reject the "quick fix" professions of faith that have very little corresponding life changing fruit. It is very possible that more people who have recited the sinner's prayer will end up in hell than in heaven. (read that again!). What does that mean? It means that like booze, sex, and money, many have used a false "sinner's prayer" salvation event to mask their emptiness, but they have never been born again. And as the blog "Old Truths" has recently observed that might be the greatest deception of all.
Finally, should not we who were rescued from such unimaginable emptiness rejoice in the Lord our God!? Many of you were saved in your adult years and we can remember being empty. Nothing I did could remove that low grade fever called emptiness until I met the Savior and He took me in. He who the Son has set free is free indeed, and He who has the Son has life!
Thank you, Lord Jesus, we were so, so, empty and we thought that the things of this world were the path to fulfillment. But in Your infinite mercy You took pity on us and by the power of Your Spirit You stopped us in our empty tracks, put a hook in our hearts, and turned us to Your Son. We have no treasures to give You but that which You desire, our broken worship of the Great Triune God Himself. We can never know all about You, but we do know You, and in that alone we have found everlasting life and fulfillment. Let us be Your instruments to bring Your light to the hearts of many who dwell in darkness and emptiness,
and may the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering!!!
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2 comments:
Why do "normal" people snap? I think a better question is how do billions of people whose hearts are desperately wicked seem to hold it together? Seemingly normal people have been committing heinous acts ever since Eve made lunch about her instead of her Creator. Cain, the first man born on this earth, killed his brother, choosing murder over submitting to the gracious God Who pursued him with offers of reconcilliation. "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?"
The truth is, like Cain we hate God and we love ourselves. We want life our own way. No, most of us will not commit murder. But even turning to Jesus as a panacea for my emptiness is ultimately about me and not about Him. This is exactly where "the sinner's prayer" goes awry. We make God the genie that will fix all my pain instead of recognizing Him as the awesome Creator of the universe Who owns me simply because He thought me up before the foundation of the world.
Charles Roberts did not understand that he owed God everything. While he committed the greater atrocity, everytime I choose pride over humility, holding a grudge over reconcilliation, me over Jesus, I make the same statement he did "I'm going to have what I want no matter who it hurts because I am the center of my universe."
His destiny has been sealed; his time here is done. But what of the rest of us? Can we drop the "God wants to make you happy" and preach the gospel? Christ came to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.
Temp -I agree with your assessment of the man centered view, but as I wrote emptiness is actually sinful separation from our Creator. Remember this, Jesus' mission, His incarnation, was all about us which in a mystery glorified the Father.
And in reality becoming a follower of the Sin Bearer is about me, my eternity, my forgiveness, but it can never be, as you allude to, about my earthly life. The highest calling of man is to glorify God, and that can only be accomplished through His Son.
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