It seems that whenever there is a mass shooting, the subject always gravitates to mental health. And lately, I have heard similar rhetoric even in regard to personal one-on-one conflicts. In order for someone to commit an act of violence, the prevailing rationale is that there must be an abnormality with their mental state of being. Now, while I do not disagree that there are indeed mental health issues, I would like to also suggest that in most cases, the issue is even extensive than that! I would like to suggest that not only is there a mental health crisis, but there is a spiritual health crisis as well!

In Romans 1:21, the Apostle Paul wrote: “For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened.” (CSB) When people disregard their Maker, their minds are disoriented, and their thinking is corrupt. I believe this is a major contributing cause to much of the senseless violence that plagues our society today. Yes, there are mental health issues, but I believe many of the mental health issues are caused by a spiritual deficiency known in the Bible as sin.

In many of the discussions today about the epidemic of gun violence, people only talk about the mental health aspect. But humans are not just mental and physical, humans are spiritual, mental, and physical. In order to fully address the issue, one must not only address the physical and mental needs, but the spiritual needs must also be addressed as well. This is where the church, in my humble opinion, has failed! Instead of doing what only the church can do, many churches today focus mainly on social and political issues, while minimizing the main business of the church.

When the church returns to its core mission of working to redeem the human soul, I believe change will begin. It will not be a massive and pervasive change, but rather a slow and deliberate change of one person at a time. While this might not seem like a viable solution, we must remember that much of the violence in our culture today is not committed by groups of people, but rather by individuals. Therefore, even when one individual is changed by the power of God, that is one individual less likely to commit a violent act to harm others, or themselves.