There is a fair amount of discussion about the man who stopped a more widespread shooting by killing the man intending harm. As Christians in America, this is a delicate issue. Not one for quick answer. America is very much a defend yourself and stand your ground nation. We love the idea of keeping ourselves safe. I love it too! Who wouldn’t? There is a problem of evil that is carried out by wounded humanity. What do we do? I have no judgement towards this situation. I do not have any idea what I would do. Martyrdom is not a value of American culture of which, I am a product.
The early Church was very persecuted and suffered violence. They had a trust in the God ‘who raises the dead.’ I want to have faith like that but cannot say I do. Are we truly willing to leave ‘father, mother, sister, brother, spouse or child’ for this ideal of love and FULL trust in God? Or even to love the shooter and not count their sins against them?
I have little faith on this if I am willing to be honest. I have worried before at how much of a ‘sitting duck’ we are at church.
This is where ‘fire-insurance’ is easier. We can be practical and pragmatic. We can ignore the Lord’s words yet accept him as some sort of Lord of our lives and gain heaven while we are at it.
A shooter and counter violence is so unbelievably hard to wrestle with in the Church, and there are no easy answers. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers for they will called children of God’
Pacifist purists are a fundamentalist of a different stripe. Any time you feel morally superior, in the timeless words of Ice Cube, “check yourself before you wreck yourself“. You are not equipped to be morally superior.
To the church in White Settlement, TX that suffered this violence we pray. We also pray for the twisted soul who went to wage violence.
We pray for the church member who killed the shooter.
It is a complicated thing to follow Jesus. I am wayward and can say I fully trust His ways will keep me or my loved ones safe. My faith is as small as a mustard seed grappling with these things.
I have no answers to the violence of our culture other than love. The Church is so similar to the culture that it is little wonder that many have a tough time believing the Kingdom of God is at hand.
The Kingdom is at hand and within us! We will see the glory of the Prince of Peace. It is not dependent upon us and for that we are thankful.
