This post originally appeared at https://www.vcy.org/top-news/2025/08/04/from-the-director-22/
By Jim Schneider, Executive Director
VCY America
A headline from an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel posted July 29, 2025 captured my attention. It read, “Local Rise in Violence Spurs Call for Answers.” The article went on to enumerate the plague of violence hitting “a popular entertainment district in downtown Milwaukee.” This has spurred the Milwaukee Common Council to convene special committee meetings. The article indicated the violence is spreading outside this district to blocks nearby and has included both fatal and non-fatal shootings.
Milwaukee is broken up into various police districts. This particular district, which includes the entertainment venues, has so far in 2025 tabulated six homicides and 20 nonfatal shootings. This is just one district in the city and these numbers represent twice as much as the year previous. Members of the Common Council want to hear directly from the police to “relay what they observe, what they think the problems are and what the cause is of this violent behavior.”
Milwaukee is not alone with the scourge of violence taking place. In recent days there was a mass stabbing perpetrated by an individual wielding a knife and targeting unsuspecting shoppers at a Wal-Mart in Traverse City, MI. In downtown Cincinnati, The Enquirer reported of “a fight breaking out in a crowd. People threw punches, kicked and jeered as a man on the ground tried to fend off blows and a woman tumbled to the concrete, bloody, and disoriented.” This occurred while many onlookers refused to intervene, and rather documented on their cellphones what was taking place. The police chief indicated that while 100 got out their cameras to film, only one called 9-1-1.
Recently in Virginia, a Danville City Council member was doused with gasoline and set on fire. In Arkansas a man killed parents in front of their daughters at Devil’s Den State Park. He was charged with capital murder. In Colorado, a dentist was found guilty of murdering his wife. The investigation unfolded the plot used to poison her. In New York City, a man wearing body armor shot and killed multiple individuals. In Ohio, officers were ambushed while eating their pizza lunch and shot. One of them was killed. In Springfield, OR two officers were stabbed by an individual. In cities across the country and around the world many have been killed or injured by drivers deliberately driving their vehicle into crowded sites.
Political violence is also escalating as certain legislators have encouraged their followers to “take it to the streets.”
While pages could follow enumerating such violence, let us broaden this violence to another level. Antisemitism has exploded across the United States and around the world as Jews have been targeted by those chanting to “Globalize the intifada” as they seek to eradicate Jews from the face of the earth. Increasingly the chants are intensifying, “Death to Israel…Death to America!”
Additionally, the extreme violence taking place in the womb continues. Pre-born babies are targeted daily. Over one-half million pre-born babies have died this year alone in the United States. The death toll is approaching 67 million babies gone since 1973.
In cities across the United States and nations around the world we see the ravages of violence unfolding, escalating and intensifying.
Harkening back to the Milwaukee situation, city leaders are troubled (many are the same individuals who support violence in the womb.) They want answers. Why is this happening? What is the cause? We really don’t need special city council meetings to figure this out. All we need to do is go to the pages of Scripture.
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Genesis 6:5, 11-13)
We later read in the Scriptures, “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:37-39)
Just as violence dominated the earth during the time of Noah, the Scriptures warn that this intense level of violence will once again return. We must not be ignorant of what is unfolding before our eyes.
If ever there was a clarion call to return to the God of the Word and advance the Gospel, it is now. It is imperative for us to repent of our sins (personal and national), to turn to the Savior and to reach a world entrapped in a spiritual crisis.
Recently the Freedom From Religion Foundation issued a press release in which they stated, “The Freedom From Religion Foundation is raising a red flag over the resurgence of a bible study group featuring senior U.S. officials, including members of President Trump’s cabinet.” There can be no question that the problem is NOT that people are going to the Bible. The problem is that people have been turning FROM the Bible.
May this serve as yet another wakeup call for the body of Christ to be salt and light to a world in great spiritual need. May we with effort and fervency renew our commitment before the Lord in such a time as this!