Rick Warren: Our nation is grieving right now

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More victims of that Connecticut school shooting laid to rest today this amid a nationwide debate over how to prevent.

A tragedy like this are happening again and Amanda brought us the purpose driven lives trying to understandable.

This sense -- violence.

In -- pastor Rick Warren -- investor very good to have you.

Thank you -- you know a lot of folks have been doing.

A lot of that soul searching of late -- wondering.

What -- is the purpose and that in all this violence in all this bloodshed if not at this school with a little little children.

The shopping mall only a few days earlier.

At the theater a few months earlier on and on what do you say.

Well you're right Neil we've we've had seven.

Major.

Mass shootings since April.

And our nation is grieving right now from two -- from sandy hurricane and from sandy hook.

You know time magazine called this the massacre of innocence that's actually a term out of the Bible.

2000 years about the first Christmas when Herod killed all the baby boys under to another mass murder of children.

And there are long term things we have to deal with.

For at least that I know a lot of factors we have to deal with the stop this kind of violence.

But first we have to deal with the short term factors and that is the grief of the people who have who have lost them in our hearts blocked them and I've found that the deeper.

The the grief the fewer words are needed a lot of people are always looking for.

Wisdom or from the right word and they say what do you say there is nothing to say you just need to be there you just need to show up and when people are grieving.

They don't need a lecture and they certainly don't need an explanation because explanations don't.

Actually.

Comfort -- what comforts us is the presence of others the presence of god.

And and the first thing we have to do is we have to learn how to release our grief and we need to do that right now.

Do you.

Think that didn't.

I'm not saying evils winning passer but and it's been getting an upper hand.

Well there's definitely is it that evil is real and a lot of people want to ignore it -- of these kind of things show up.

And we often want to push guide to the sidelines you know it's.

And nobody was -- Bothered by teachers praying with their students during sandy.

The in -- attack there at that sandy hook.

And nobody is bothered when a politician whether it's the president or anybody else is reading scripture quoting.

Scripture praying at these times but it needs to be more than just those times.

What I discovered is that grief is actually a good thing for us -- it's a transition that helps us move through that.

Do the the losses of life and if you don't grieve if you just stop it down.

Then what happens as it comes out sideways somewhere later on in life.

So you don't repress that you don't soft press that.

I what you do is you express that and you -- facet.

And we do need to deal with the evil there's no doubt about it there there are multiple issues and the on this.

And these shootings there there's the psychological issue of mental illness and we're not taking care of the mentally ill like we opted we're not supporting the families of mentally ill like we ought to.

That's a definite issue there's the the middle Ellis issue there is the the and the social safety issue.

Public safety issue and yes there are AK 47 assault rifles that of people using to assault people out there and there needs to be -- dealt with on that.

But there's also this culture of violence the sociological issue where kids are being raised.

You know the by the time they're twenty they've shot down 2030000 people in video games and and and that's entertainment.

And then of course the -- that I I work in as the spiritual issue with when people's lives are empty when when they don't know the meaning and purpose of life.

When when they don't know the difference between right or wrong -- but these kind of things happen but it's not just one issue they're all of these issues that have to be dealt with who got to start with the families you know their -- Read a lot of -- have been song about the reason why.

This happens and even with a god is that it is -- well and humans have choices.

And and and god has given that ability to us for a go to far apparel.

The same applies I guess to what is our entertainment and that we have the freedom to look and examine anything.

That's out there.

-- week yeah do you do is there a limit today.

It would there's a version Jobe where he says I will set no wicked thing before my eyes that's a good thing it was some of those might wanna -- that on.

-- video games and televisions winner flipping channels are.

Using games.

The old computer idea of garbage in garbage out it's true that you cannot -- your mind.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Then there's brain food which is actually good for you it it it it helps you grow -- build your soul.

But then there's poison and there's some things out that'd just -- shouldn't put in front of your eyes -- some people are so open minded their brains -- out.

And they they they just let anything I've got to like a freeway in their mind well what we think affects the way we feel in the way we feel affects the way we act.

It it's bound to affect this one way or the other even if it's just desensitize and that's.

You know maybe you're not gonna go out and commit a murder but it does desensitize you to the whole issue of murder.

-- that really -- Warren would favor.

Censoring these materials.

Policing these material and I'm.

I certainly.

Believe that there's some materials that should not be in the hands of children without a doubt we are in a free country.

Where people make moral choices and up because god gives me a loyal -- so I think we ought to give other people the moral choice.

But there's some things that clearly are bad for our society.

And we've gotten beyond the idea that there's some things that are right somethings are wrong and clearly.

A culture that we enjoy violence it is an issue but it's not just that it it is even if you didn't have all of these things.

There would be mental illness.

And -- and mental illness is an issue that we have to deal with that needs to be brought to the table.

And our in our own state California.

Many years ago there were way too many people locked up in institutions.

And our state went overboard and released them on it's almost impossible for.

Of people -- get help when they have family members who do need mental stability.

You know aren't -- exists.

And -- tenth anniversary of purpose driven life.

Which begin a Bible in itself a lot of folks about living the right to life like for purpose and and -- that armed.

And remove the nation and removed a lot of people closer to god and I'm thinking of this young teacher at the school.

Who sacrifice.

Her own life to protect students.

She was living a very purpose driven life to doing everything right out of down and doing everything without a doubt.

And this is what happens can you blame people -- stepped back from that and say.

How could -- -- that happen how could god let these children who apparently started life.

-- -- -- -- -- Verizon.

And this is one of the the whole issue of suffering and evil a does go back to the issue a free well you've already mentioned -- our greatest blessing.

Is also our greatest -- God did not make us puppets we we could have been -- -- none of us ever did anything wrong we prayed all of the time we always did what's right.

The god wanted us to choose the love him.

In and giving us a choice.

I often make bad choices and so do other people -- everybody does the Bible calls -- -- And because of that everything in this world is broken nothing works perfectly the weather doesn't work perfectly the economy doesn't work perfectly our bodies don't work perfectly.

Our minds don't work perfectly.

And as a result that we live in a broken world where there is -- What we have to do.

Win these kind of things happen is people have a choice they can either run to god or they can run away from him as a pastor I see both.

You have no you know we're -- going to turn it around right -- disrespectfully but I did not write that people would look at this and say.

Did in miracles in the Bible of times and god has intervened.

And they're they're wondering why -- -- -- now letting you do something you know to stop yes.

Well god could intervene very easily.

It very -- all that does take away free will it and if he did need to be -- -- have to -- -- at all if I went out and got drunk tonight.

And got in the car crash and kill somebody I don't blame god for that.

That's why we're it it's my will in fact we're to pray the lord's prayer which says thy will be done on earth as it is and haven't why we told -- -- that.

Because God's will is done perfectly.

And always done on her arm in heaven.

And almost rarely done on -- people who say well that must be God's will that's nonsense.

God's will is almost never done on earth because I have a will and you had ever will -- -- will we frequently accused -- not -- -- but little did god see this race to gutsy coming.

Of course got a seen it all coming it could be just like.

I know when I had my children that growing up they would go a few different pain.

And they would go through heart aches and they might even make some bad choices than other -- -- do things against them I still chose to have them.

Because I love them -- even knowing.

That because they gave them free will and everybody else did that there would be paying.

That the issue is do we run -- god for comfort or do we want to run away from them.

Most people as you could see that the churches in new town were filled last Sunday.

Because most people they run to god for comfort.

There are some things we're not gonna understand an explanation until we get into eternity until -- -- and they haven't.

What we need to do right now is release our grief.

Receive help from others.

Remember what's important.

And and run -- god and when I -- what's important what matters most in life is relationships.

I have been at the deathbed of literally thousands of people as a pastor.

I've never had one person at the deathbed say.

Bring me my trophies one more time I want to look at them bring me my stock certificates bring me my graduation.

Certificates now that was -- say bring me the people.

That I love eventually we realize that what matters most of the people we love I just hope that we learn it sooner.

Rick Warren.

Purpose driven life.

We'll have more to this.

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Rick Warren: Our nation is grieving right now

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