Many young Somali men for some reason or another think that violence is the key to having a successful and blessed life. Violence is the use of physical force to get what you want or to punish someone for something they have done. Violence always violates or hurts, injures or harms another person. It comes from the root word – to violate – which means to injure or harm someone by use of violence.
You can be violent with your words by yelling at someone; or by insulting and persecuting someone with your words. You can be violent by shooting someone, or raping them, or killing them. You can be violent by destroying someone else’s property or by taking by force something that doesn’t belong to you. You can be violent by refusing to talk to someone or forgive them.
Listen to what the prophet Isaiah says about people who are violent:
“All their activity is filled with sin,
and violence is their trademark.
Their feet run to do evil,
and they rush to commit murder.
They think only about sinning.
Misery and destruction always follow them.
They don’t know where to find peace
or what it means to be just and good.
They have mapped out crooked roads,
and no one who follows them knows a moment’s peace.” – Isaiah 59:4-8
There is no peace in Somalia because of violence; there is no peace in many Somali homes because of violence Not all Somalis are violent but there are enough violent Somalis to taint the whole community with a brush – and many Somalis are known by their trademark of violence.
Again last week a young Somali man was shot in Canada. That makes around 50 young Somali men killed by violence in the last few years in Canada alone; and they were killed for the most part by other Somalis; most of these deaths come from being a part of the drug trade. Some young Somali man is selling drugs and another young Somali man feels like his turf is being encroached upon – and boom! You’re dead.
It’s like God says in the Bible:
“The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads.” – Psalm 7:16
These kinds of people live for violence; the Bible says of them:
“For their hearts plot violence, and their words always stir up trouble.” – Proverbs 24:2
I could yell and scream; and get in your face; wave my hands up and down like a baboon; but wisdom and peace don’t operate that way. I can’t force you to stop doing what you want to do – you are free to decide what it is you want to do. But I can tell you that violence is not the way to a life of peace and blessing that you may be searching for: that’s the truth. I can tell you that the violent road your own will lead to death in this world and eternal suffering in the next.
When you know the truth and understand the truth the truth will set you free.
The reality and truth is that violence kills people; and very often it will be the one who is going out to do the violence who gets killed – either by suicide or murder.
The Bible says:
“The wicked conceive evil;
they are pregnant with trouble
and give birth to lies.
They dig a deep pit to trap others,
then fall into it themselves.
The trouble they make for others backfires on them.
The violence they plan falls on their own heads.” – Psalm 7:14-16
My dear Somali young man: God will not let you get away with selling drugs and committing violence towards others. God is in heaven and sees everything you do. God may not allow disaster to come upon you today, or tomorrow, or maybe not even next week; but one day God will allow the violence that you have done to others to fall upon your own head and then you may end of dying while looking at the end of a gun staring you in the face as you open a door, or when you turn down an alley, or get out of your car. Boom! And you’re gone.
And then after you died you will stand before the great white throne that is in heaven; so not only will you be killed here on earth; but you will have a greater agony in a place of suffering waiting for you on the other side of this life. Because when you die life doesn’t end; your spirit goes to be before God and you will have to give an account for all your violent acts upon the earth.
Listen and be warned by what God has to say to you:
“And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.” – Revelation 20:11-15
If I would be honest with you young man; I would tell you face to face – you are being very stupid. You are throwing your life away. You are living a life with a very short life expectancy. Living a life of violence means you are not going to grow old with a wife and children and grandchildren around you. You are throwing all that away with your stupidity thinking that violence is going to bring you blessings and peace – no!, violence is only going to bring you suffering, agony and death. And then after you die without Christ you will face God and stare at the Holy One sitting on His throne, and His piercing eyes of Holiness will burn through your soul like a laser beam; you will be powerless before Him, standing there awaiting judgment.
In fact you are judged already.
God says in the Bible:
“And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.” – John 3:19
Do you understand that? If you are living a life of violence and rejecting God and not allowing Him into your heart – you have been judged already; your love of violence, the shedding of blood, and the dark things of this world have condemned you – never mind jail, the fiery lake of hell is waiting for you; waiting to torment you forever unless you turn your life over to the Lord Jesus Christ and ask Him to forgive you and save you from you sinful way of life – ask Him to save your from this sinful ways of violence and godlessness.
If you want to save your life here on earth from death and jail time and all the consequences of living a violent lifestyle; then turn your heart over to the Lord Jesus Christ and ask Him to come into your life and change your heart so that you will no longer live a violent lifestyle.
If you want forgiveness of sins and eternal life, ask Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins; ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and save you from your sins.
Amen