When Kennedy was shot, they blamed a conspiracy.

When King was shot, they blamed race.

When Reagan was shot was shot, they blamed guns.

When Oklahoma City was bombed, they blamed ideology.

When the World Trade Center was bombed by planes, some blamed Muslims and some blamed….us.

When a man shot up an Army base, they blamed…us…again.

When a man shoots a Judge, a child, and a US Representative, they blame…everybody.

Everybody but…

Even going back to the Kennedy assassination, when was the last time we blamed the person who did something horrible for doing something horrible?

When was the last time we blamed sin?

You know who I blame for the Tuscon shooting?  I blame Jared.  He chose sin.  He chose evil.  He chose to buy the gun and to shoot people.

I blame Jared Loughner.  He bought into a lie, whatever it was.  I do not pretend to understand whether Jared was a right wing nut, a left wing nut, or an independent nut.  He is a sinner.  He is a man who rejected God, rejected grace, and chose murder.

His ultimate eternal culpability is God’s concern.  I don’t know why he did it, but I do know why he didn’t do it.  He rejected God and chose sin.  I pray for Jared and I blame Jared.

Jared did it.  Sarah Palin didn’t do it.  Mao didn’t do it.  Jared did it.

When I sin, it is MY fault.  When you sin, it is YOUR fault.  Jared’s horrendous sin is Jared’s fault.

Almost every bit of rhetoric for the last 72 hours has been focused on who is to blame for Jared shooting so many people, yet hardly anyone blames Jared.  They blame the right wing, they blame the left wing, they blame rhetoric, anybody but the sinner.  When they speak of him, if they speak of him, they say was driven, he was crazy, he was inspired by this person or that person.  Drivel.

Jared did it.  I blame Jared.

Pretending that sin and evil no longer exist, we don’t make them go away, we unshackle them.

Nothing is more truly mine than my sin.  It is the only thing that comes from me and me alone.  Its mine.  I own it.  Grace is a gift.  My sin is mine.

In world without sin, everything that goes around, comes around.  Except blame.  Blame just goes around.