142,163,999 WORKERS DID NOT SHOOT ANYONE

Keith Wishum

Does that sound strange? Why?

In fact, it's the truth. Of the 142 million Americans employed on September 16, 2013, only one chose to shoot his co-workers. All the rest went about their business pretty much as they should. Very few got into any trouble at all. Most did their jobs well, but largely unnoticed.

It is the one exception like the troubled Aaron Alexis at the Washington Navy Yard who makes national headlines. Perhaps media focus on such incidents is unavoidable, but we might do well to remember why a workplace shooting gets so much attention. It is precisely because it is the exception, not the rule.

I don't know why this man opened fire on his colleagues with three guns. According to the news reports, he was a disturbed individual having difficulty separating delusion from reality. We will never know for certain what went through his mind.

But I do know that his actions shocked us precisely because they were unusual. We are accustomed to people being good. Perhaps the question we should be asking is: "Why do the other 142,163,999 workers behave?"

What is it that makes it possible for us, without fear, to hurtle down a highway at 55 mph, passing just a few feet from 3,000 pound vehicles hurtling past us in the other direction? Don't we assume that most people will do the right thing and behave in the right way? Can't we safely make that assumption because most people, most of the time, do, in fact, act properly?

It is easy to get cynical - to see nothing but the worst of human behavior. After all, we are reminded of it constantly on every channel. We need to remember, however, that for all the evil in this world, there is also a world of good. So much so that it is considered too ordinary to make the news.

Plenty of horrible things happen all around us. Sometimes, to us. But there are also beauty, love, goodness, and kindness all around. For every awful event, there are 142 million good ones. Don't forget to notice them. And maybe even say, "Thank you" for them.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things" (Philippians 4:8).

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One of the characteristics of people with good mental health and happiness, is focusing on positive things in their life rather than the negative things. God, our Creator, of course knew this and that's the reason God gave us such scriptures as Philippians 4:8 and others.

Romans 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.

May we all strive to focus on the good, positive things around us and in our lives and resist the tendency to focus on the bad and negative.

With love and concern,

Larry