Guns, Murder, and Spiritual Dis-ease

By Dan Farish

If there’s one tiny spark of hope to come from December's mass murder in Connecticut, it is this – we, as a nation, are forced to ask ourselves some tough questions. What would cause someone to walk into a school and murder twenty innocent babies? Why are mass murders a growing trend in our society? While psychiatrists search for personality disorders to explain the (alleged) senselessness, scientists scan DNA for clues, and politicians consider new legislation designed to regulate the problem, here is the ugly truth; we live in a spiritually sick, disconnected, fragmented society where people place far more faith in their guns than they do in one another. This most recent shooting is not an isolated situation, as we all know.

Mass murders are on the rise. Since 1982, there have been at least 62 mass murder incidents carried out with firearms across the country, leaving hundreds dead. But this article isn’t about the pros and cons of gun control, nor is it a mental health debate. This article offers a spiritual perspective as to why people are so lost and offers just one of many explanations as to why mass murder is increasing on a national scale.

Why do so many Americans feel the need to own a handgun? Fear.

What removes fear? Spiritual healing. Faith and love replace fear.

We are a country in desperate need of spiritual healing. I’m not talking about religion. In fact, some of the most dangerous people I can imagine are the religious fanatics that wave a pistol in one hand and a bible in the other. Fear is the reason people feel compelled to arm themselves in their own homes and, with 310 million privately owned firearms in America, we’re talking about a lot of fear. Enormous truck loads of the stuff.

Fear, along with anxiety, depression, addiction, and too many other behavioral conditions to mention here, is merely a symptom of spiritual dis-ease. It is a disconnection from our spiritual side, both individually and collectively. We are a spiritually dis-eased, spiritually bankrupt country. If you don’t believe it, take a look at our elected leaders. The vast majority of politicians care far more about their own self-centered, selfish interests than yours or mine.

What, exactly, is spiritual dis-ease?

The hyphen is important here. Spiritual dis-ease describes a sense of unease (such as fear) within us, a feeling of separateness from others, and even a separation from one’s inner self. It is an uneasiness of the soul – a soul wounded by emotional, physical or sexual abuse, neglect, absentee parents, or other trauma. In its simplest form, spiritual dis-ease boils down to one thing; a blockage of love to us and from us. We avoid our neighbors, curse other drivers, and replace front porches with rear decks to hide from the world.

When we become spiritually disconnected, we turn our back on a very real energy called love. We are wired for love and when we cut ourselves off from love, anything can happen and none of it is good. People turn to pornography, drugs, alcohol, or become workaholics, sleepaholics and shopaholics. Anti-social behavior becomes socially acceptable. Some people even throw both arms in the air, give up altogether, and turn to suicide or murder.

Psychiatrists and mental health professionals use acronyms like ADHD, PTSD, and countless other “disorders” to put a label on the symptoms of spiritual dis-ease. They hand out prescription pills like candy to treat those symptoms. Of course, pills only treat the symptoms and do nothing to address the source of the problem, which is, of course, spiritual dis-ease. There is no chemical remedy for a spiritual dis-ease. Between 2001 and 2010, the number of people swallowing medication for mental health or behavioral disorders increased by 22%. This does not mean 22% more people found themselves teetering on the edge of insanity over the course of nine years. It is, however, a pretty good indication that more people felt the need to fill a quiet, desperate void in their soul. Again, pills treat the symptoms of the problem, not the source. They temporarily numb the emotional pain. We feel nothing, as a result. No pain, no joy, no empathy for others, no real emotions at all.

What is the solution?

Aware of it or not, we are all made of three basic elements; body, mind, and spirit/soul. When one of the three is out of balance, the other two suffer. Guess which of the three is, by far, the most out of kilter in today’s America? The solution is simple. We need to apply faith and love in daily life, rather than place misguided faith in a god called 44 Magnum.

Here are a few steps we can make to move from a fearful, empty, spiritual dis-eased existence to a faithful, fulfilling, contented life.

•    Living in the present moment is one way to overcome fear. Stop what you’re doing, focus on the present, and ask yourself if everything is okay right now. If you’re fearful that someone is going to hurt you tomorrow, that is not only an unrealistic, unwarranted fear, it is also a faithless thought.
•    Apply small acts of kindness in all you do, knowing that your actions, whether positive or negative, have a ripple effect on all of us. Invite a neighbor over for coffee. Volunteer to help others that are struggling in your local community. Smile at the driver beside you at the next red light.
•    Understand that you are part of a very large picture called the universe. You are not a separate, unique, isolated individual struggling alone to survive in a hostile world. Unless, of course, you choose to live as one.
•    Believe in God/Higher Power/Great Spirit/ Divine Love or whatever name you choose to call it. Believe in a power greater than your own, of which you are a small, but important part. Put your faith into knowing that no matter what happens in life, all will be well, whether we wake up in this world tomorrow morning or the next one.

Faith and fear are opposing forces. All happiness results from a flow of love to you and from you to others. All spiritual dis-ease results from a blockage of love to you and from you to others. Lower your guard, lay down your weapons, and embrace life with your God-given arms. Life is that simple.

To learn more about spiritual healing, please visit http://3stepstospiritualhealing.blogspot.com/2012/10/calling-all-angels.html. Be sure to join our mailing list for blog updates, tons of spiritual news and info, delivered directly to your inbox.