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The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime conducted a study in 2019 on homicide. It examined the statistics for 2017. The global study reports that “464,000 people were murdered in 2017—more than five times as many as were killed in armed conflicts during the same period.”* The study also provides homicide rates for most countries in the world. In the United States, there were 5 homicides for every 100,000 people. Our neighbor Mexico had 29 homicides per 100,000. But El Salvador had the highest homicide rate at 61 homicides per 100,000 people.* Let’s face it, there’s a lot of murder in the world.
Exodus 20:13 says, “You shall not murder.” Of all the ten commandments, I suspect more people agree that murder is an evil than any of the other commandments. The high value of human life, created in God’s image, causes us to abhor murder.
But Jesus challenges us to abhor other things as well. Listen to Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” (NIV)
Today, treat others well. That’s how we can value life.
*”Murder Rate by Country 2022″, World Population Review, https://worldpopulationreview.com. Accessed 26 July 2022.
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Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.