More about expectations

A few more reflections about what we may expect from the world we live in, at least in respect to the bad things that happen to us and others.

Making news this morning is another story of murder, or perhaps murder/suicide. Very sad either way, but the part that makes this story stand out from other sad accounts of killings around the Omaha area, at least for some citizens, is the part of town it took place in: the Dundee neighborhood. Not the north side, synonymous in some minds with random violence and gang shootings, but a mid-town area known for its shady streets and old, large homes and, presumably, peaceful atmosphere.

Now, if trouble in this world is an irregularity from the goodness we might expect, then it would make sense that troubles like crime and murder will occur only where "bad" people congregate, like gangs, criminals and ne'er-do-wells. Under that theory, "good" people in "good" neighborhoods should be immune from the disease of violence. If violence invades such sanctuaries of peace as the Dundee neighborhood, it's a strange and tragic event. But if violence and other social troubles are evidence of a deeper disruption in the soul of all men, of which violence is only one manifestation, then no neighborhood can put up walls to keep out a problem that actually comes from within.

It may be true that violence occurs more often in some parts of our cities than others. But does that mean that only "good" people live in the less afflicted areas? It seems obvious beyond dispute that some parts of town have a greater share of critical factors, like poverty, social desperation and other elements like drug trafficking that often follow in the wake of hopelessness and human struggle. Add these to a human mind separated from the goodness of God, and you have a recipe for violence that is going to happen more often than in areas where those "extra" elements are less prevalent.

But, even in the more violent-prone areas of our city, the violence is still a relatively small percentage of the total population, and is resented deeply by the majority of people who will never take a gun with them to their car, so they can shoot recklessly at whoever is in their sights. And in the other areas, there are still troubled people, feeling just as desperate and equally without answers for their burdens. If they also are separated in their souls from the God who loves them and wants to give them a real hope in Jesus Christ, then violence may break out in "good" neighborhoods as well. It's just what we should expect.