How did we get to a place where bombing buildings, airplanes, and other crowded facilities become almost expected? When did we grow accustomed to mass shootings taking place on a repeated basis? When did we become complacent and complicit with the killing of millions of unborn babies through abortion? How did we become so broken as a people?
Sociologists and psychologists will look at many different angles trying to put the pieces together to give us expert opinions. What circumstances help to create a psychopath or a sociopath? Is this solely a mental health problem? How does religious fanaticism come into play? What are the many other issues at work including socio-economic factors, education, indoctrination, hopelessness, desire to famous on social media, and a laundry list of other possibilities? More importantly, what can we do about it?
As we hear the Gospel of John on Good Friday detailing the passion narrative of Jesus, do we get any clues from the account about why we suffer in modern times with extreme violence? What can we learn from Christ? What can we learn from the Roman soldiers, Judas Iscariot, the crowd, Pontius Pilate, Herod, or the disciples?