Who Will Stop The Rain?
The rash of violence involving teens nationwide has sent shock waves throughout our communities. Who’s the blame has spun debates from the prestigious hillsides of Georgia to our nation capital. The ever-increasing violence involving Columbine High, Littleton Arkansas, J.W. Parks, Penn Thornton High, Oregon and Heath High all represent "the torrential downpour of violence in our society."
Flash flooding results after the grounds become so saturated
with water that the remaining waters have nowhere to travel. This flooding
results in billions of dollars in damage to neighboring communities leaving many
homeowners devastated and hopeless.
This same "devastating phenomenon of disaster is symbolic of the growing epidemic of violence in the American culture. The lyrics by artist like Ice T, Snoop Dog, Master P, and Ice Cube promote and glorify violence. Movies like Big Mamas house (Martin Lawrence PG-13) contains scenes which are violent in nature (like the scene with Malcolm and Lester struggling over a gun and Lester is eventually kicked through a window. In "Next Friday" (R), handguns and machine guns are used by various characters to threaten others. "Running Free", Chase Moore (G) Biplanes fly over mining towns shooting machine guns and dropping bombs destroying and catching buildings on fire.
While our children sit and watch these motion pictures which appear funny and harmless, these violent tendencies are absorbed into the minds of these little ones leaving them victimized. Remember "the thief cometh to kill, steal (and who better to rob than our defenseless children)? Instead of playing with games that challenge their young minds, our children are downloading the ingredients to build bombs.
As one writer so eloquently states, "American culture has reached its capacity for absorbing violence. Yes, we, as a society, are growing more tolerant of violence. Just as in a series of flash floods, hundreds of thousands of gallons of water are poured in the direction of least resistance...downhill, where it snarls traffic, sweeps away fences, and abolishes neighborhoods. Equally true is the violence that is wiping out communities, shattering young lives, and destroying our future.
Just as it is ridiculous to try and psychoanalyze a natural disaster, the same holds true for entertainment, apologist who belittle our appeals for non-violent filmmaking and a more responsible media. There is only one way to stop a flash flood from getting worse: "Stop The Rain."
The question was asked by Creedance Revival, "Who’ll Stop The Rain." The answer lies in another type of revival that begins with us (2 Chronicles 7:14). Listen as people at church discuss the movies they rent, the CD’s their children purchase, and the motion pictures they watch. Chances are their movie choices aren’t much different from their unsaved neighbors. Only when believers (the church) get serious about violent entertainment can we effectively intercede for a lost ferocious culture in grave need of Christ. The rain will stop the Son shines.
By: Travestine Wright