And let’s talk about that despair. Commonly, suicide shows its ugly face when people feel deeply hopeless and helpless. It is an act of ultimate agency—of taking your life by your own hands—that you hope breaks through the felt lack of agency. Combine with this some disordered loves and a strong sense of solidarity with the “have-nots,” despite the atrocities committed by Hamas. Obviously, Bushnell—like many people today (especially young men)—was susceptible to erroneous, radical ideology. His own rocky spiritual background probably played a factor in his radicalization.
But even those with a healthy background experience crises of meaning and morals, which existentially destabilize them and make them vulnerable to harmful ideas, including through the medium of the internet. This becomes especially dangerous when there is no sovereign, immanent, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, loving God in the equation. If Proverbs, the Psalms, and the prophets teach us anything, it is that the LORD will frustrate the purposes of the wicked, in His good time, in His way. He defines what is right and wrong, and He vindicates the right and brings the wrong to naught. Vengeance is His. This means that the saint can risk his life and livelihood for the good while also refusing to ever commit sin for any cause and even forgive his enemies. It’s not all on mere mortals to make things right in the cosmos.
Moments of cultural decay make men desperate and can spur them into supporting unrighteous causes and committing grievous evils for causes righteous and unrighteous. Such is the character of radicalism when the world is turned upside-down. I remember a time when all was reduced down to money—“It’s the economy, stupid!” Now, as we see promising young men burn themselves alive on screen, it’s time to address the spiritual crisis of our unmoored society.
Read more at WORLD Opinions.
St. Jude's Anglican Church
We are a parish of the Reformed Episcopal Church. We have been worshiping together in the greater Richmond area for over a decade. We’d love to have you join us for Christian worship in the rich Anglican tradition.
