Are we getting numb to the news of mass shooters killing innocent people? It almost seems to be the norm today that weekly we will hear of another young man committing atrocious violence on anyone who stands in the way of their rage. Sadly (because times have changed), but prudently, many of our local churches sent security teams to a training seminar at Cornerstone Church to be trained for just such an emergency. Thankfully, most churches in Alexandria are now protected by well-trained teams who are prepared to neutralize an active shooter should one foolishly try to enter our houses of worship. Shooters, take notice. Churches and worshipers in Alexandria are not defenseless targets!

But why wait until the shooter arrives at our front doors? Why not prevent the child from becoming an active shooter now, while still a malleable child at home.  Here is where dads hold the key. According to criminologists Gottfredson and Hirschi,[1] they found the absence of fathers to be one of the “most powerful predictors of crimes.” They explained that fathers are role models for their sons who maintain authority and discipline, thereby helping them develop self-control and empathy toward others, key character traits lacking in violent youth.

The home, not the church or the local school, is the best place for dads to model Proverbs 24:21-22 to their sons. It says, “My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?” See also Romans 13:1-4.  So dads, it’s up to you. Accept this as your responsibility. And, be willing to mentor the fatherless child next door while you are at it.

[1] https://www.heritage.org/marriage-and-family/commentary/the-crisis-fatherless-shooters