We were all horrified when we heard of the shootings in the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado on July 20, 2012. As Bible-believing Christians, what lessons should we learn from that tragic event?

1. Man is a fallen creature.  We should all be saddened about this tragic event and sympathetic toward the victims and their families, but we should not be shocked.  Man is a sinful, fallen, totally depraved creature whose "feet are swift to shed blood" (Gen. 6:5; Is. 59:7; Rom. 3:15).  We are justifiably outraged at murderous crimes like the one committed in Aurora, Colorado on July 20, but what about the 3,700 unborn babies who are murdered in America every day?  What about the murder that takes place in our hearts when we are angry with our brother without a just cause (Matt. 5:21-22; 15:9)?  Truly, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23).
2. Life is short and uncertain (Job 14:1-2; Psalm 39:5; James 4:14).  We just do not know what a day may bring!  We are not guaranteed to live a long and prosperous life.  We are not even guranteed our next breath!   We all need to make sure now that our souls are prepared for eternity (John 11:25-26).  Someday soon each one of us will stand before God, our Creator and Judge (Luke 12:20; Rom. 3:19; 2 Cor. 5:10; Heb. 9:27).
3. Man is unable to fix himself.  It didn't take long after the terrible shooting in Aurora for politicans and political commentators to begin debating the merits of gun control and other laws.  Changes in our legal system might be warranted, but make no mistake: the fundamental problem is not with our laws, it's in our hearts (Mark 7:21-23; Rom. 3:20).  What all people everywhere need is a new heart, what the Bible calls the new birth, or regeneration (Ezek. 36:26; John 3:3-6; Titus 3:5).  Only God can do this through the preaching of the gospel (1 Peter 1:23-25).  The solution, therefore, will not come from Washington, D.C.; the solution will be preached from pulpits in our churches (2 Tim. 4:1-4).