I listened to a young man pour out his emotions as he spoke on TV about the terror and trauma he experienced during the mass shootings that took place at the Parkland High School in Broward County, Florida.   It was gut wrenching to listen to.  My heart was torn as I listened as his words.  It caused me think of my own children and grand children.

Emotions are a vital part of our human condition.  More than that they are truly a gift from our creator.  Emotions serve as the only source capable of taking a human on a journey to the core of our soul where we encounter our human values.  But more importantly, they take us on a journey so we can see ourselves face to face as in a mirror.  It is as if we must be dragged kicking and screaming into a Garden long ago set aside as the place where blo0d is sweat as the human heart engages the battle where emotions attempt to drive us away from looking into the mirror of truth.  Said another way, emotions seek to focus on a simple solution rather than confront the ancient symbolism hidden in a seamless garment.  The truth of the temple of our soul is intimately connected to the human search for the purpose of a people so loved they have been granted free will.  The pain of emotions can distort truth as one who seeks to avoid the journey to the only source with the potential to wash the human family clean and make us whole again.

Hold on to that image of the seamless garment for within it’s creation lies the secret of one who is willing to offer up life as the price of penetrating the human heart and restoring mobility to a stiff neck!  The truth found in the blood found on the ground speaks to a hope beyond measure!

Here in this mirror lies a treasure, a gift from our creator where the real possibility exists to confront and overcome human natures original sin!  Sin the modern world seeks to ignore and worse deny!  In this mirror the image and likeness of our creator one cannot  ignored or escape!  The source of truth is dimly lit to a new arrival and the values buried within are designed to lead us to the truth in the beginning hearken to a soul thirsting and longing for an answers!  Here in this garden of agony one encounters the potential to ingest the breath of ancient truths again as in the first time.  Emotions erupt from deep within our gut as they crawl upward into our heart and mind creating the only unrest that can open the door that can lead to the search for hope we can find again the sacredness and treasure of life!  The question is  will take the time necessary to endure the journey to the core of our soul where we can encounter the spirit and wisdom that created us.  It is in the deeps of our soul where emotion can be balanced with the gifts of logic, wisdom, understanding of the purpose of the creator’s plan that calls people to freely choose the journey with the potential usher in real hope for a healthy human family.

A gun on the other hand is just metal and cold.  It has no spirit, no emotions and cannot make a decision.  It can not pick itself up, load itself or pull it’s trigger.  It lacks warmth or breath.  A gun has no emotions and cannot reflect upon anything that happens to it or it’s impact on any living being.  Why are we investing so much time on an inanimate object with no potential to save us?

As I listened to this young man, I too was sent on a journey to the core of my soul and began to ask the spirit in the mirror questions.  Who was this young man who picked up that gun?  What happened to him?  Who were his parents and how did he get that gun?  What questions are being asked about this young man and his environment?  Guns were allowed in school when I was a kid and this kind of event never took place.  What has changed?

Can we examine the seamless garment without being executed?  Do we really have an understanding of who we were created to be?  Is our focus on an inanimate object or the core of the soul of humanity?

If you made it thus far, will you come with me on a journey through the flawed memories of a child beginning to digest and grasp at the seamless garment and how it runs through the whole of humanity where not a single soul is without impact?

Is anyone willing to ask, have all the political attacks over the past several years on the police had an impact?  he alone the associated demand for body cameras?  Have we  pushed our policemen into political correct precautionary non life saving behaviors?  Someone with courage needs to be willing to ask?  Have our emotions and power agendas overridden our ability to have courage under fire?

How about the violence in so many neighborhoods?  How about the self inflicted wounds of gender-ism?  Isn’t the DNA we are born with the DNA we will die with?  Did God make a mistake when he created us?  Is there something else in play?  Have we now declared ourselves to be God?  How about the breakdown of families?  How about the destruction of life for those who cannot speak?  How about a feminist movement that does not include mothers?  How about the stripping of a mans ancient obligation to the mother and their children?   In the beginning God created man and woman and it was good.  The two became one flesh.  Abortion kills not only the child but the father for the two are no longer one flesh!

Do we have any real men in political life?

Why are so many people today taking drugs for everything?  Why are TV commercial’s full of advertisements for new drugs?  Does a pill correct every situation?  Do our brain’s work any more?  Why do we want to stop letting boys be boys?  Why are so many young men in prison and why are they so angry with their parents?  Why are we afraid to ask these questions?

When I was a kid we allowed prayer to be taken out of school about the time I finished.  We allowed abortion to begin to flourish at about the same time.   Why do our politicians support the abortion of 60 million babies and then insist we need 60 million immigrants?

Does anyone recognize the abortion decision declared a death sentence on a father’s right to protect his children?  Do gun free so called safe zones override the right of a father to protect his child from a principal whose policies do not report crimes which undermines the law intended to keep guns out of the hands of individual’s with histories of violence?  Are our police and sheriff’s bullied by the politically correct and unwittingly unleashed the violent and mentally unstable on society.  Has politics destroyed common sense?  Have we become so smart and tolerant that we are now become our own worst enemy?  Have we declared that sin is dead and people are just misunderstood?

Have we allowed a judge to override the voice of the people?  Have we allowed a judge to declare the father of a child has no rights even in a marriage?  Why do we want to destroy men and the potential father many are created to become?  What has this done to our children and does anyone care what the the impact is on children and family?  Is anyone looking at the success of children brought up in a traditional family versus the new so called norm?

About the time I was just a kid contraception exploded.  I thought it was good!  Has anyone opened their eyes lately?  Is sex no longer about children?  Have we advertised the impact of contraception on the human breakdown of the family?  Divorce has sky rocked.  Single parenthood in many neighborhoods is 70% and higher.  What is the emotional cost and impact on children from all of these changes?  Our prisons are overflowing with angry, upset young men most from single parents homes.  Discipline in schools is major growing problem.

Are we in denial about the nature of our humanity and natures use of hormones?  Do we not know what takes place year in and year out in natures survival of life?  In many parts of our world cultures are approaching self annihilation because of the refusal to birth children.  Anyone talking about the death of Christianity by those who [profess to be Catholic’s and Christians.  Who has muted the voices of our Bishops and Religious leaders?

Has anyone noticed the changes that have taken place over the years in Hollywood, TV, movies, entertainment and video game industry.  Do they glorify violence and shoot em up adventures?  Is promiscuous and raw sex displayed as normal?  How about the impact of the internet, the smart phone and sexting?  And what about the explosion of porn – the objectification of women, children and sex?

We have become a people who lack the courage to ask ourselves tough questions!  What is the stumbling block that prevents us from asking the tough questions that affect people with the potential to pick up and use a gun?  Why are we so afraid to ask these questions?

What is a safe zone?  Shouldn’t a mothers womb the safest zone every created.  Ask a small kid?  Who is the enemy of that zone?  Is it a gun or is it man?

Aren’t a mother and a father supposed to be the protectors of their children with the duty and responsible to assure their safety?  Who overrode those parental rights?  Why do we entrust our children to people who have allowed the children to run the school?   What system or systems in Broward County failed the students and faculty in that school?  Do we not know our government has encouraged the non reporting of violent crimes in schools?  If you see something – say something!  Did that work?  And what is the FBI doing these days – does anyone know?  So how can a system based upon reported crimes prevent someone from purchasing a gun when the system rewards non reporting?  Have emotions overtaken and all bet eliminated logic and leadership?

My brother tried every kind of drug while he was in college.  He took his own life!  So we ant to legalize pot!  Emotion has overridden logic!  What about all the drugs people are using today?  Is anyone paying attention?  Can we ask?  What is the drug overdose rate today?  Does anyone notice all the drug commercials on TV?  What is our society selling – a quick fix – just take a pill?

And we have just entered the arena of social media and new technology?  What about social media?  Will the children of the future develop social skills to interact with people face to face?  What again about the deterioration of the family and why is it children with a mother and father are so much more successful on average?   Do we have the courage to ask the questions that we get to the heart of the problem or have our emotions trapped us in a dialogue with a gun issue?

Folks, we have a culture problem.  Our values are in the toilet!  It’s time for our emotions to take on a trip back to source when we look ourselves in the mirror of truth so the door of hope is opened and we can begin again to reach for the full potential of the gift of life!

Finally, does anyone know that true love will piss of an awful lot of people?  Didn’t the people of his own family take the one who came to testify to the true to a cross?  Weren’t they jealous and envious of his courage to speak the truth?  And they didn’t like the way he preached because it forced them to look into the mirror of truth!  So I ask, do we modern day sophisticated people really want to hear the good news or do we just want happy talk?

Self examination in the deeps of ones soul is where forgiveness and healing begin.  Love one another as I loved you!  Lord have mercy!