I can’t imagine the grief among the families waking up in Connecticut this morning, and I pray for the comfort of Christ to envelop them. It is for mornings like this that we are Christians, because if you don’t know Jesus, then really, what can you say or do for these poor people?
I’m sure we’ll learn there are many contributing factors to the killer’s rampage, but I wonder if this isn’t one of them. It’s telling that Paramount Pictures is postponing its latest Tom Cruise movie because of a graphic sniper scene. When we watch violence as entertainment, we shouldn’t be surprised when one kook–and all it takes is one–decides to imitate what he sees.
Does art imitate life or does life imitate art? Probably both. If you think about the sin that permeates our culture–violence, murder, sexual immorality, and greed–they all have been glamorized by Hollywood. I’m not blaming movies and television entirely, as you could make the case that they are simply picking up on what already exists in the culture, but I’m confident this is not a coincidence. Paramount apparently agrees, which is why you won’t be able to catch their new movie tomorrow. But wait a week, and you probably will.
Mike Wittmer 
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