Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Grace is Messy

Home
Meet Steve Austin
About Messy Grace
Books
Speaker
Contact
Categories
- Faith
- Family
  - Marriage
  - Parenting
- Mental Health
- Recovery
- Writing Help
Best of Messy Grace
Support
Supporters
Affirming Churches
ASK STEVE!
Press
The Podcast

Home
Progressive Christian
Adam Lanza Was Not a Freak

Adam Lanza Was Not a Freak

Last updated on: December 17, 2012 at 11:10 am by Steve Austin

Adam Lanza Was Not a Freak 2012-12-17T11:10:35-05:00 Steve Austin

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I am sitting in the lobby of the Hampton Inn this morning and listening to the replay of President Obama’s touching speech from the school grounds. He quoted Jesus as saying, “Suffer the children to come unto me” and proceeded to name each child, each victim of this horrendous tragedy. Across the room, the cleaning lady and I shared a knowing glance. “That is just so sad,” she said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTbhVlHuONo

It is so sad.

And equally as sad is the star of the story, Adam Lanza, the shooter. He will go down in history books as the mastermind behind the second deadliest school shooting in American history. He has been labeled a “loon”, a “murderer”, and a “psycho”. He was called, “the quiet, friendless boy whom no one knew”.

He was only twenty. This young man is ten years my junior. What caused this? Investigators are still working through that question. What would cause a human being to cause harm to another human being? What would send a guy into such a rampage that he would murder harmless people, including his own mother? I cannot put myself in his shoes, because I cannot imagine slapping my own mother, much less murdering her.

And what about his family: the brother he hadn’t spoken to in two years, the father who is left behind, and all those connected to the family in some way? How do you begin to pick up those pieces? Can you imagine the level of guilt, shame, and total humiliation they all must be experiencing? The “what ifs” must be driving them to their own level of insanity. Was there something they could have done? Could they have helped Adam weeks, months, or years ago?

Two words that hit close to home have been tossed around connected to this story: mental illness. He’s been called crazy and unstable. I had an aunt who was diagnosed, and I take my own little white pills for anxiety and depression. I understand the stigma attached to a mental illness diagnosis; it is no fun. You walk around all day, feeling like you have a big sign on your forehead, that people know you are “crazy”, and that you’re being judged 24/7 for being weak enough to give into a mood stabilizer and the like.

Mental illness is no small matter and it is certainly no laughing matter. What Adam did is inexcusable, but let us all be wise with our words. Labels lie: don’t use them, don’t accept them.

I also think of many customers I see on a regular basis. I see people from all walks of life, but I find myself giving a second glance to those teens and young adults, dressed in all black, piercings covering their faces, and the boys with eyeliner. Nameless weirdos. Freaks. Crazies.

“Mr. Messy Grace” catches himself judging them on a regular basis. I wonder why they dress the way they do, why they cover their heads in metal, and why they never make eye contact or respond when I say, “Welcome to Starbucks, how are you today”? How rude!

This story has broken me for those we so often and easily overlook. I want to say, “the Church must do something to reach out” or “the government must do something to help the mentally ill”, but I realize that I must do something. Grace has beckoned me.

There must be a change and it must begin with me. Mother Teresa said, “Do not wait for leaders, do it alone, person to person.” So that is my challenge to myself today. There are hurting people in this world, bruised reeds (just like Jesus). It has been said that hurting people hurt people, but as one of the healed, I want to help. I want to love my neighbor: the weirdo, the loon, and the freak.

If you have a suggestion on what to do, where to get plugged in, and how to help, please leave a comment. I don’t know where to begin, but I am ready to do something.

Grace is calling each of us to do something.

Previous Post

November 5, 2012

Grace for the Horn-Honkers

Next Post

January 17, 2013 Finding God in the Midst of Adversity

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Anxiety Best of Messy Grace Current Events Depression Faith Family Featured Fiction lgbtq Marriage Mental Health Messy Grace Millennials Parenting Recovery Recovery from a Suicide Attempt Recovery from Abuse Recovery from Porn Addiction Religious Recovery Self Care The Struggle With Church This is My Story (series) Uncategorized Writing Help

Select a Month January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 June 2015 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 June 2013 April 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 September 2011 August 2011 May 2011 July 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does the name "Israel" mean?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Mountain of God Father of a multitude The Lord provides He struggles with God