It was midnight and a mother and three of her children were sound asleep. They would never wake to greet the morning. By dawn, her husband, too, would be dead.

The lights were off and people of all ages sat innocently in their seats, eyes riveted to a silver screen. Twelve of them did not leave the theater alive. Fifty-eight left in ambulances.

She was still asleep when her dreams ended. It was dark when four bullets sunk into her head; she will never know that her son used her own guns to murder her and 26 others at the elementary school nearby.

I know that’s not a very inspiring way to begin an article for February, the month for Valentines and chocolate hearts, but my heart aches for the victims and loved ones of these heinous crimes. Nehemiah, James and Adam, once young men with families, talents and promising futures, are now suspects in three of the most unconscionable murderous rampages in our nation’s history.

What made them do it? What were they thinking? Where was their love for others? What made their love grow so cold?

Many are weighing in with answers to all of these questions from every angle. Do a Google search and you will find a plethora of speculative articles that place the blame for these mass shootings on bad parenting, guns, parents with guns, inadequate gun control laws, illegal drug use, mental illness, psychotic breakdowns, lack of security in our schools, violent video games, bullying, and more.

I’m sure all of those factors could have played some part in these crimes, but if you read my column on a regular basis, you know that I prefer to do a Bible search. Of course I don’t find answers in my Bible that specifically address why young people all over the world are brandishing assault weapons, but I do find specific causes for the current condition of our societies.

For instance, in Matthew 24, Jesus describes what the world will be like just before he returns. After delivering a mind-numbing list of cataclysmic natural disasters, international revolutions, economic collapse, religious persecution, deception and betrayal, he reveals the answer to my question above: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24:12 NKJV

Lawlessness, adjective. 1. contrary to or without regard for the law: lawless violence 2. Being without law; uncontrolled by a law; unbridled; unruly; unrestrained: lawless passion 3. Illegal: bootleggers’ lawless activity

Notice this word, lawlessness, is an adjective. Pardon the English lesson, but that means that it modifies a noun or pronoun. People are nouns. People are modified by lawlessness; their behavior changes, and it isn’t pretty.

Forgive me if it sounds like I am over-simplifying the dark complexities behind the motives of mass murderers, only God is able to do a thorough root cause analysis on such heinous offenders. But knowing our human struggle with evil, he graciously established a legal system to govern societies – to keep the peace, foster goodwill and nurture love – all the things that reflect his myriad attributes.

Again, my heart is broken this Valentine’s Day, for the traumatized survivors, families and loved ones of the victims of these terrible crimes. I don’t pretend to understand the attraction to guns and the insane desire to shoot people, most especially one’s own family or innocent children. What I do understand is that love won’t grow cold when society collectively protects the laws of the land and we love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Give more than just Valentines this month – pray for those whose hearts are broken.