A Nation Mourns
By now, everyone has heard about the VA Tech shooting... it is so sad, and so unbelievable. I can't imagine how all those parents are feeling as they mourn the loss of their child or children....
On this past Sunday, I was speaking at a church... and, afterwards when we went to pick up our boys from the Children's Ministry, my 10 year old son Darren was nowhere to be found. We searched all over that church for at least 20 minutes... and, finally, he appeared (he had been in the bathroom for awhile... lol) The thoughts that ran through my mind as I, along with the church's Children's Pastor, looked for DJ were hauntingly eerie... where could he be? I confess that for much of those 20 minutes, I was a wreck inside... this couldn't be happening!
But Darren did show up... and there were many parents of students at VA Tech who finally received word or heard from their children that they were safe. But for a few dozen parents and families, their world was totally rocked, never to be the same again...
Many are saying, "This should never have happened!" "How could so much evil be resident in such a young man?"
Well, it doesn't take much. These are terrible times.
Our hearts should be broken not only for the victims, but also for the young man who held the gun and took the lives... because, evidently, his was a life that had never encountered the living Christ...
He either rejected the message...
Or it wasn't explained well enough to him...
Or, worse still... somebody hid it from him.
I don't even want to stop and think about the possible number of believers that came across that young gunman's paths... from the time he was a young boy until his sad demise yesterday as a young adult.
If you're reading this, think of those one or two or three family members, fellow students, neighbors who you know well... of whom you're not sure whether or not they have a relationship with Jesus... and share the Good News of Jesus Christ - that God is, in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself!
And He has given US this message of reconciliation...
Don't hide the message... nothing good will ever come of it.
3 comments:
May we always look to love those who are hurting before they hurt others.
I am not Korean, but I do have many Korean friends and most of them are Christians. The shooter was also a Christian, he made note saying he has lost faith in his religion. I feel that it has nothing to do with religion that caused him to act so violent, but more to do with society and prejudice.
Steven,
I tried to email my response to you, but couldn't - so I'll just leave it here... hopefully, you'll return and we can dialogue more.
First, let me say this: You're right, in that I shouldn't ASSUME that the shooter WAS NOT a Christian.
Now that I've said that, hear me very clearly: in the same way, you cannot assume that he was a Christian simply because he said he was, and that he had "lost faith in his religion." Just as sitting in a garage doesn't make you a car, going to church or being baptized or whatever... doesn't make you a follower of Christ.
What makes you a follower of Christ is recognizing that you're a sinner, and that Jesus died to pay for your sins... and that he rose again, defeating death, hell, and the devil... and then placing your faith in JESUS ALONE for your salvation.
Interestingly, the Bible never tells us that we can know that someone is a follower of Christ simply because they say so... instead, you can tell whether or not one is a Christ-follwer BY HOW MUCH THEY RESEMBLE JESUS ("by their FRUIT you will recognize them"... Matt. 7:20).
In fact, Jesus said that there will be many on the day of judgment who will claim to have been "Christians", but His response to them will be, "I NEVER knew you. Away from me, you evilDOERS!" (Matt. 7:23)
I sincerely hope that the shooter had a real relationship with Jesus Christ... and my question to you, Steven, is "Do you?"
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