The whole world was shocked in early January when Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was meeting her constituency in a parking lot in a shopping center. All of a sudden shots broke out and several people were killed or injured. Mrs. Giffords had a bullet go through her head. The whole world followed the process of her surgery and miraculous recovery.
It is hard to conceive how a bullet could go through your head and you could survive. Fox News Poll found that 77% of American voters believe that prayers helped her survive the Tucson shooting. It is just a good reminder that we cannot underestimate the power of prayer. James 5:16 says, “Pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Ana Maria Salazar of El Universal writes that many people in Mexico felt that the
reactions to the shooting “seems excessive.” She explains that Mexicans have become “so accustomed to violence” that a mass shooting doesn’t provoke an outpouring of mourning that we experienced here in the United States.
Part of the reason is that the weekend that Giffords was shot, Mexico saw 28 people executed in Acapulco alone, 15 of them beheaded. In 2011, three mayors have already been victims of the “open warfare” between the Mexican government and drug gangs. In 2010, the drug war killed more than 15,000 Mexicans.
Due to the popularity of television and the internet, it is easy for our culture to become so accustomed to violence that it doesn’t seem to bother us. How much violence does the average TV watcher encounter in a year’s time?
It is easy to become slowly desensitized to violence and hostility. President Obama called on Americans to be kind to one another and “sharpen their instincts for empathy.”
We will continually pray that the miracle continues for Mrs. Giffords. A policeman from South Florida was interviewed who had a similar experience where a bullet went through his head. He has survived and is about back to normal.
When this policeman was asked what word of advice he would give to Representative Giffords, he said, “Tell her not to listen to all the people who say she can’t survive, can’t get well, and can’t get back to normal. Don’t listen to those people. Don’t listen to people who don’t believe.”
I think all of us need to develop a lot of “selective deafness” to people who tell us that miracles don’t occur. I believe there is a correlation between becoming more sensitive to needs and a person’s experience of seeing God perform miracles.
The lesson is simple – don’t become desensitized to needs around us – practice good selective deafness – continue to pray expectantly – be open to all the miracles that God wants to work through you!
