Bobby Bare and Boyce Hawkins wrote the song “God Bless America Again.” It’s a patriotic song and has been recorded by many artists. The chorus reads, “God bless America again. You see all the trouble that she’s in. Wash her pretty face, dry her tears and then, God bless America again.”

That song took over my mind and spirit after hearing the news about the Las Vegas shooting tragedy. As you know, that event has overtaken the Orlando gay nightclub shooting of last year as the deadliest in our nation’s history. What a title to take.

I was in a great mood as Sunday night came to a close. We had a revival meeting at a Mitchell County church that was well-attended and I had been the preacher. My message was about Moses and the Burning Bush and the points of emphasis were, not an unexplainable burning bush, but rather God’s words of assurance.

God said to Moses “I have seen the misery of my people. I have heard their groans. I know their sorrows and I have come down to deliver them.” To me, that is the essence of the Gospel.

Donna Sue had business in Auburn and had traveled there late Sunday. After the Sunday night meeting, I had planned to have some supper and read all about the Georgia Bulldog’s victory over Tennessee. I was happy that the Dawgs had played well and the team looks great. I was in a good mood and looking forward to getting up Monday morning and starting a busy week.

My mornings are routine. Up early, coffee, and a review of the news via television and my laptop computer. As soon as I saw the headline, the winds left my sails. Not another one of those shootings, I lamented.

It turns out that this one was not just a run-of-the-mill tragic shooting. It is an indictment of our current state of affairs that I would label any tragic shooting as run-of-the mill. The fact is, though, we seem to have almost one a week. Something’s wrong with America’s heart.

I had plenty to do Monday. My daddy isn’t doing well and I knew that I needed to get him to the doctor in Thomasville. He’s 90 years old, my mother is 87, and I’m the chauffer. I’m glad to have that opportunity to return just a portion of the goodness that they have given to me.

Still, I wanted to keep up with the numbers. It began at 20 deaths, but quickly rose to 50. At this time, it stands at 59, but I’m sure with over 500 additional casualties, there will be more deaths. Awful. Just awful.

These people who were attacked were sitting ducks for the man on the 32nd floor of that adjacent hotel.  There seems to be no rhyme or reason for his murderous actions. I am glad that he killed himself and saved us the expense of room, food, and lawyers for too many years. At the same time, and I know this is not a Christian attitude, but if a quick trial and conviction could have been, I wouldn’t have minded his being placed in the hot seat. Come to think of it, he’s in a hot place right now!

The song I mentioned at the start is about God blessing us again. The scripture that I used Sunday night assures that God sees, hears, cares, and is available for help. I think it’s about time we called upon God for help. Nothing else seems to work, but that doesn’t surprise most of us, does it?