Big City Crime in a Small Town

Countless times, I've heard it said that violent crimes and homicides are completely unthinkable in friendly small towns. Well if that's true, then the unthinkable has happened.

Before I share more thoughts on that, though, I want to ask you to please pause and pray for the friends and family of the victim, as well as the suspect and his friends and family. This is truly a terrible thing that they are all now a part of, and I don't want my sharing of opinions to minimize the importance of the love and prayers they all need right now.

However, I do want to share a few thoughts.

The per capita numbers get really skewed in small towns like this. For example, this one homicide would count as over 11 per 100,000 residents. On the flip side, I've heard a lot of die-hard small town people talk about how big cities are so much more dangerous.

As a big city boy living in a small town, I can honestly say that neither setting is innately more or less dangerous. However, the fallen nature of man is unfathomably dangerous. At the end of the day, we all need Jesus. Every city, regardless of whether the population is 8,000 or 8,000,000, need to surrender itself to the Divine leadership of God.

Love is the only force that will eradicate the hatred that leads to violence, assault, brutality, and murder. God is love, and love for God is manifest in love for our neighbors.

I've lived in the small towns of Virginia and Allendale. I've lived in the big cities of Indianapolis and Chicago. I've lived in several other cities in between. Friends, the grass really isn't greener or meaner on the other side. It's time we stopped looking at the specks in our neighbor's eye, humble ourselves, and repent of our own planks.

Only then can we truly, unconditionally, and without obstruction, love our neighbor.

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