Examining our own hearts in light of continued racism, hatred, and violance

As hatred, violence, division, and accusations mount (according to plan), perhaps we should first honestly examine our own hearts in light of God's truth before reacting in unhealthy, destructive, volatile ways, fueled by the heightened and irrational emotions evoked by the media's false narratives, angry attacks, distortions, exaggerations, and outright lies. I have written in second person to engage others, but only after asking myself each of the questions below.
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"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses." (Proverbs 10:21)

• Is your heart consumed with hatred or with love? 
• Are you praying for God's love to touch and redeem your enemy, or are you praying for him to suffer?

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 "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives..." (James 4:3)

• Do you really expect God to hear your prayers if you pray outside of his will....wishing harm on others instead of good, simply because the media or some well-funded radical group told you that you should hate them? 

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” (Psalm 66:18)

Note:  Regarding iniquity refers to deliberate, habitual, unrepentant sin.  It is placing one's desire to sin over their desire for God.  We all fall short, and God's grace is not dependent upon our works, but a truly repentant heart that receives the grace and redemption of God will hate one's sin and ask for God's help to overcome it instead of shaking one's fist at God and insisting He can't have that area of their life.  Such defiance is rejecting the Lord, not receiving Him.

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2 "For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
3 They encircle me with words of hate,
and attack me without cause.
4 In return for my love they accuse me,
but I give myself to prayer.
5 So they reward me evil for good,
and hatred for my love." (Psalm 109:2)

• Are you slandering and attacking others without cause? Whether or not you agree with them is irrelevant. If they have offended you, then that is your problem, not theirs, for we are each individually responsible for how we respond to the words and actions of another. No one has the power to offend us unless we willingly give it to him. 
• How has the subject of your ire legitimately and truthfully (media narratives do not count because they are often unreliable) harmed you to warrant your attacks? 
• Are you returning evil for good or good for evil? 
• Are you seeking vengeance or trusting in the Lord's justice and goodness?

"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'" (Romans 12:19)

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"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." (Romans 13: 1-2)

• Are you mad at God for allowing Trump to be elected? 
• Or are you a Republican upset over the fact that your state elected a DNC pawn as it's governor?
• Do you really think God makes mistakes? 
• Are you suggesting that you know better than the omniscient One who made you and who is the source of wisdom and truth? (John 14:6, Proverbs 2:6) 
• Are you subjecting yourselves to the authorities God has established or rebelling against them out of selfishness and without Biblical mandate?

"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2: 1-4)

• Are you praying for your leaders and seeking peace with your brethren, or do you wish injury and shame upon him?

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"31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4: 25-32)

"6Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3: 5-17)

• Are you verifying statements before repeating them in slander?
• Are you ready to forgive, or are you storing up resentment?
• Are you choosing to be thankful or bitter?
• Do you view all people, regardless of social class, race, or gender as your brother or sister, worthy of respect, acknowledging that you are nothing without Christ and no better than anyone else?
• Do you strive to obey God in all things, asking Him to help you when you fall short, ever grateful for His mercy and grace?
• Are you opening your entire life, every decision, word, thought, action, and heart's desire to Him so that He can redeem and transform you? Alternatively, do you only obey Him when it is politically correct or convenient? 
• Is He Lord over your life or do you think you have authority over Him and are thus better able judge what is right and wrong, just and unjust? 
• Do you insist that you know better than God does with regard to His word, omitting the parts you find uncomfortable and clinging only to those that fit your narrative and make you feel good? 
• Is your life consistent with the knowledge that we will never experience freedom from sin, lasting joy, or peace until we become so uncomfortable with the reality of our sin that we choose God over our unholy lusts and humbly repent? Until He is Lord over all, He is not your Lord at all.
• Do you do all things to honor Christ or to exalt yourself?
• Are you a peacemaker? Do you put the interests of others before your own? (Philippians 2:4)
• Do you acknowledge that Christ is the only one who can unite us all and give us peace? Is He your only hope and heart's desire, or are you still trusting in earthly powers and fleeting carnal enticements?

The real reason Americans are so angry and divided and what to do about it

Extreme polarization, disunity, anger, rioting, violence and overall civil unrest have escalated in America at an alarming rate over the past decade.  The information age and the rapid rise of social media networks have contributed to these negative trends by increasing the dissemination of information and by facilitating the erosion of credibility among information producers.  Anyone can present himself as an expert and spread false information, "fake news", or misleading opinions without accountability.

Media producers profit more by publishing sensational stories with click-bait titles than they do by publishing thoughtful insights and verified facts.  Smart phones and social media saturate users with so much information 24/7 that few have the time or patience to read media that is more than 500 words or that requires in-depth thought, so the media is mostly dumbed-down to emotional sound bites that make consumers FEEL intense emotions without having to think much at all.  Opinions and talking points are virtually absorbed by osmosis, and once those opinions are established, social media intensifies those opinions through algorithms that feed consumers only what reinforces those opinions. This confirmation bias closes minds and hearts to differing perspectives. This refusal to consider or evaluate opposing opinions has turned some of America's most elite universities, where the marketplace of ideas once fueled innovative thought and mutual understanding, into censorship zones where only the most liberal philosophies are permitted a voice. Polarization is a natural outcome of a refusal to expose oneself to opposing viewpoints.  Since no persuasive arguments or thoughtful defenses are needed to support a common opinion in such censored environments, any attempt by an outsider to engage in meaningful dialogue or respectful debate is immediately shut down by resorting to name calling ("hater", "bigot", "sexist", or any combination of vulgar expletives) or by simply disengaging.  Those who refuse to conform to this herd mentality have been persecuted, whether by exclusion, fines, bullying, or violence. 

Social media has also removed the filter that face-to-face interactions provide, emboldening users to say online what they would never say in person. Sociologists consider social media to be a primary contributor to the problems of isolation, depression, low self-esteem, and the inability of many Millennials and heavy media users to develop meaningful face-to-face relationships with others. Strong interpersonal relationships are the glue that unites a society, so the less we relate to one another in real life, the less peace and unity we will experience overall.

These tensions have especially intensified since the rise of Black Lives Matter which encouraged the killing of police officers simply because of their profession.  Then when Hillary did not win the election as expected, the rioting began again, especially among entitled young people who do not know how to handle disappointment because their hovering parents never let them fail, and their teachers and coaches gave every kid an award or a trophy.  The media certainly paints a grim picture of the current state of the nation with angry, violent, grieving, hysterical Americans acting as though the world has ended.

With sincere concern for the emotionally distraught, I must point out that none of us, regardless of political or religious affiliation, should ever overreact to anything the media presents as emotionally charged click bait, especially when it is void of accurate facts or specifics.  The angrier and more emotional Americans become, the more the media profits. Some media outlets have been caught flat out lying to perpetuate the negative emotions that are so profitable for them.

To those tempted to hysteria, consider how much your heart and blood pressure, your doctors, and everyone around you would thank you if would simply ignore the exaggerated claims until you have the facts and can understand the full context.  Just as wise parents ignore their toddlers when they throw temper tantrums for no reason, those in authority will discount all whining and protesting done in ignorance.  Truly, unjustified anger serves no constructive purpose, but if left unchecked, can easily turn into bitterness that grows to destroy the one who harbors it.  (Ecclesiastes 7:9,  Proverbs 16:32, Ephesians 4:26-31, James 1:19-20, , Colossians 3:8, James 4:1-2)

"Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;  do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land." (Psalm 37:8-9)

The Biblical account of Jacob and Esau points out how quickly anger, even if sparked by legitimate injustice, can grow into hatred that morphs into psychopathic behavior.  Esau went from anger to hatred to plotting to murder his brother in a very short time period. (Genesis 27:41)  Esau is not unlike many Americans.  Ever since Trump's inauguration, the news has been filled with examples of angry insults, violent protests, Madonna's desire to bomb the White House, individual threats to assassinate Trump, over 12,000 tweets calling for Trump's assassination, and an extremely profane speech at a Black Lives Matter protest calling for killings across the White House and beyond.  The anger in America is out of control, and it is completely unjustified.  When have any of these angry protestors had personal interactions with Trump in which Trump hurt them in such a way as to justify the death sentence?  Esau could at least point out that Jacob had tricked him out of his birthright and out of his father's blessing, yet God's complete disapproval of Esau's hatred is clear, for the Hebrew word used to describe Esau's hatred of Jacob is the same root word from which the name Satan is derived.

When we are personally angry and frustrated or when our nation is filled with hostility and division, we must stop reacting emotionally and start thinking critically.  We must carefully consider not only what is true in any situation (instead of what the media wants us to believe), but even more importantly, we need to identify the true source for our anger.  We can probably all agree that the technological age and the rise of social media have made the tensions worse, but most would place the blame on the person at whom their hatred is directed.  Republicans blamed Obama. Obama blamed Bush. Black Lives Matter blamed police officers of any color.   Now the blame for so much division and instability in America is being collectively placed on Trump and his supporters.

While the loudest protestors insist that Trump is the source of their angst, God's word offers a different answer.

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. (James 4:1-2a)

People are angry because they did not get what they expected or wanted.  Entitled people do not know how to handle disappointment. They believe all the negative media published to incite fear and cannot bring themselves to accept any other scenario than the one they demand or to hope that their worst fears will not be realized. When Obama was elected, conservatives wrestled with the same feelings of disappointment, fear, and despair for the same reason. They did not get what they wanted, but they had to accept the truth for what it is and move forward with faith in God and without fear of man.

Our refusal to let go of bitterness, fear, and resentment is also rooted within ourselves.  Fear is the absence of faith. We will never be at peace as long as we refuse to trust in the sovereignty and goodness of God.

"I am deeply persuaded that the primary reason we complain, grumble, and accuse is because the sovereignty of God doesn’t rule in our heart."  - Paul David Tripp

In a devotional entitled, "The Sovereignty of Words" (read it here), Paul David Tripp describes the pure, edifying, peaceful speech that flows out of a heart steadfastly ruled by God's sovereignty, no matter what trials may come. I have quoted a portion from Tripp's post below.

"When people frustrate us, when our plans are thwarted, and when suffering enters our door, our lips dispense words laced with anger, bitterness, envy, doubt, confusion, and fear. All of these emotions are given room to grow when there is a void of rich understanding and belief in the sovereignty of God.

We have forgotten that God’s dominion is an eternal dominion and he does as he pleases (Daniel 4:34-35). We don’t remind ourselves that his judgements are unsearchable and his ways inscrutable (Romans 11:33). We have neglected to meditate on the truths that God rules over the specific details of our lives for his glory and our good (Acts 17:26-27, Ephesians 1:4-6, 20-22 and many more)."

Entitlement thinking says, "You owe me.  Give me what I deserve."  God's word, on the other hand, teaches us that none of us is righteous (Romans 3: 9-20), and what we truly deserve is death (Romans 6:23).

Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we do not deserve.  Jesus died to save us from the eternal death we deserve and to give us what we could never earn or merit on our own (forgiveness, purification, a personal relationship with Him, and eternal life with Him in Heaven).  Through Christ's death on our behalf on the cross, He offers both mercy and grace to all who will believe and put their trust in Him as Lord over their lives. 

²⁰ When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. ²¹ What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! ²² But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 6:20-23).

Entitlement thinking leaves no room for grace, so let us humble ourselves before the Lord, acknowledging how much we have fallen short of His perfect standard.  (Romans 3: 9-20)

 "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." (Romans 12:3)

Fear leaves no room for hope, joy, or peace. Replace fear with faith and love.  (Deuteronomy 1:21, Deuteronomy 3:2, Deuteronomy 3:22, Deuteronomy 10:12, Deuteronomy 20:3, Joshua 8:1, Joshua 10:8, Judges 6:23, Psalm 23:4, Psalm 91:5, Psalm 46:2, Proverbs 19:23, Isaiah 41:10-14, Isaiah 43:5, Isaiah 44:8, Isaiah 54:14, Isaiah 57:11, 1 John 4:18, and more... 

"The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" 
(Psalm 118:6)

Deception leaves no room for truth or peace.  So let us throw off our old ways of thinking and think Biblically with a sound mind and an earnest desire for God's whole truth and perfect wisdom.

Instead of harboring bitterness, we must forgive as Christ forgives His followers.

"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15) 

Ephesians 4 provides great instructions on how to curb our anger and fear in such uncertain times, but it requires a willingness and a commitment to growing in maturity and unity.

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

⁷ But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it....

^...11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work....

^...22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. ²⁵ Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. ²⁶ “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold. ²⁸ Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Overcome Evil with Good

Killing innocent, sacred human life is grievous indeed, regardless of stage, age, race, religion, etc. But responding with hatred, violence, and criminal activity certainly does not help, especially when the facts of the case haven't even been released yet. No politician or riot will fix the problem of racism in our country because the root of racism is sin.

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)

As we have seen, however, misinformation is the fuel that keeps the flames of racism on every side growing larger and hotter. The facts presented at this link, "Keith Scott Shooting:  5 Facts - What you Know Maybe Wrong",  may be eye-opening for some, especially for those who did not realize that the police officer who shot Keith Scott was black or that he was holding a gun placing the police officers in a position of self defense, or it may seem irrelevant to others based on their real and deeply felt personal experiences.  Can we at least find a more productive way to address these issues based on truth and love instead of senseless violence? Let's ask hard questions and listen to each others' stories such as we see in this post where an African American woman respectfully shares her personal experiences to illustrate and define white privilege for a white friend who sincerely and lovingly seeks to understand.

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  (Matthew 5:43-45, NASB)

Christ's Church: Universal and/or Inclusive?

I apologize for sharing a post from a political site which happens to be written with an abrasive or almost condescending tone, but if you can look past all that, the overarching message is filled with truth most of our culture does not understand. It can be hard truth to accept, but the truth is also filled with more grace and love than any of us deserve. 

The distinction between "inclusive" and "universal" is key, and when they are confused, all sorts of disunity, animosity, and unnecessary hurt result. Christ's church is universal in that is is available to everyone. When Christ suffered and died on the cross,  He died for the unrighteous, not the righteous, so that includes us all. (Romans 3:23). He died to free us FROM our sins, not to accommodate, celebrate, or rename what He once called sins as modern "rights".  He did not pay such a price so that we would merely accept him into our lives as a tolerant friend with whom we can hang out whenever it is convenient or expedient for us. He came down from the throne room of Heaven to hang out on the cross so that we would acknowledge Him as our LORD.  We can't call him omniscient while insisting that we know better than He does about what is right and wrong. We can't call him the Alpha and Omega while telling Him his words are outdated and no longer true. We can't say we love Jesus while loving what He hates. 

Here is the crux. When we do decide that enough is enough and call it what is, resolved to turn away from the sin that entangles us, we can't break free from those sins apart from Him. We must come to Him first, just as we are in our desperate, prodigal state, willing to let HIM be the one to make us new rather than telling Him what He should do. He gives us new desires to replace the harmful desires that previously consumed us, but we have to take the step and say to Him, Lord I want You even if it means you take away _______(whatever sin to which you cling). 

We will all struggle with sin until the day we leave this life for the next, but as we surrender to Christ's Lordship, recognizing that He is the author of love and goodness and that His ways are always higher and better than ours, we are no longer defeated or ruled by that sin. We will not wrestle against sin forever. He has won the victory.

Please try to read all the way through this post by Matt Walsh.  There are some excellent points and nuggets of truth to ponder buried inside if you dare take a look.

"No, Christianity Should Not Welcome or Include Your Sinful Lifestyle"

Journal Entries Following the Charleston AME Church Shooting

June 18, 2015
Grief overwhelmed me last night to the point of tears as I considered Biblical prophecy and what is happening to our country. Evil felt palpable, so I prayed through tears to the one who knows all things and who has patiently endured our wickedness until the gospel reaches every nation. He is loving and merciful, but He will not force us to love Him or abide in hearts where He is not wanted or welcome. Evil will destroy the nation that utterly rejects Him and his chosen people, Israel. He will take His followers home to heaven to live forever with Him and give those who despise him what they want by handing them over to their wicked desires which always end in torment.

So I fell asleep with those thoughts and woke up to tragic news of another shooting in Charleston. How devastating! Oh how my heart breaks for the families of those prayerful, worshipful saints of God. As my heart grieves, I am struck by the irony in it. Those who do not believe the Bible is true and and then express their hatred of Bible believing Christians through persecutions such as this vile attack are fulfilling prophecy and confirming that the Bible is indeed true. Death is not the end for true Christ followers, and God's truth will prevail.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another." (Matthew 24:9-10)

Kudos to gospel singer Marcus Stanley for posting this comment on Dylan Roof's facebook page after miraculously surviving 8 of his gunshots. This response beautifully illustrates the contrast between good and eviI that I tried to describe in my previous post. Evil will use any means to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) Evil ignites and fuels the fires of hatred based on race and religion.... whereas love offers comfort, compassion, and hope while uniting a community. Love is the greatest good. Love conquers all....Because Christ laid down his life for mankind, good ultimately triumphs over evil. Mr. Stanley, you are the real deal. You know how to love and forgive because you know the love and forgiveness of God. Thank you!

June 19, 2015
As expected, the media is making this event all about guns, but the real battle is between good and evil. Evil pulled that trigger again and again. Evil doesn't care if guns are legal or illegal,because evil will acquire whatever it needs to steal, kill, and destroy. Evil ignites and fuels the fires of hatred based on race and religion. Evil motivated Hitler to disarm those he hated so he could maintain total control, and evil inspired him to murder millions because of race and religion. Evil uses a tragedy to promote a selfish agenda and to inspire more hatred, whereas love offers comfort, compassion, and hope and unites a community. Love is the greatest good. Love conquers all. "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13). Because Christ laid down his life for mankind, good ultimately triumphs over evil. (1 Corinthians 15, 1 John 5:4)

As further proof that love is the only way to push back evil, Roof told police that he “almost didn’t go through with it because everyone was so nice to him.” ( sources told NBC News)  Hate had been brewing in Roof's heart for many years, and he had spent over six months planning this attack, yet after only one hour at a Bible study with Christ followers who treated him with kindness, he almost backed out.

He wanted to start a race war, but if we all choose to respond by extending love and building unity as that AME church community is doing instead of stirring up more racial tension as the gunman wanted, then the result of this horrific tragedy could be the opposite. Darkness is defined as the absence of light, so the key to removing the darkness of hatred is to shine the light of love. Note that light has no shadow as illustrated in this picture. Light a candle in memory of those who died but also as a reminder to respond in love.

 June 21, 2015
I'm sorry I keep harping on the Charleston shooting, but the stuff happening down there is so significant both for our country and for our hearts, that I can't help myself.  Today, enormous crowds gathered at Emanuel AME Church to show their respects and to uplift one another following the shooting tragedy that took the lives of 9 of the most faithful members of the church, including the pastor. A dear friend of mine attended the service and experienced the supernatural presence of God in such a powerful way that she and her family will never forget it. The message delivered was a compelling reminder that we must forgive those who wrong us, no matter how vile the crime, for only love can push back hate, and to harbor bitterness is to give the enemy another victory over us. Those present at the shooting and others who testified offered that same message of love and forgiveness to Hooks. As a result of this tragedy and the faith community's response to it, a revival of faith, love, and unity is flooding the Charleston area and the hearts of many who are following the story.

"I forgive you": Victims' families confront suspected Charleston church shooter
Posted by NowThis on Friday, June 19, 2015

Just two days before the shooting, one of our generation's most influential, humble, godly, and effective missionaries passed from this life to the next. Elisabeth Elliot is probably best known for returning to Ecuador as a widow with her toddler daughter to preach the Gospel to the tribal villagers who had murdered her husband. Her martyred husband Jim Elliot once said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." When I first posted about this tragedy I shared John 15:13, which says that there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for another. Jim and Elisabeth Elliot were not afraid to lose their temporal earthly lives for the sake of the call, even if it means only one soul is saved for eternity.

I just know the nine saints who were taken so tragically would have gladly laid down their lives to see this revival take place, for real love for God will risk all for another soul after receiving the gift of salvation themselves from Christ who paid it all to save his worst enemies. They would tell you it was worth it.

[Aside: For those who hate "religion" because they think it results in unnecessary killing, it helps to understand the difference between a Christian who would be willing to lay down his life for another and a terrorist who will commit an act of suicide (suicide bombers, airplane crashes) to murder innocent people they define as "infidels". Christians around the world risk martyrdom everyday by those who hate them because they love others supernaturally. Terrorists are willing to die because they hate everyone who disagrees with them. True Christians are willing to die to save others (not specific others but anyone else, regardless of race, religion, social status, gender, age, ability, etc.) from physical and/or spiritual death while terrorists are willing to die so they can murder those they hate and thereby receive rewards they believe they will receive in "paradise". Note that one dies for selfLESS reasons, while the other dies for selfISH reasons]

Testimony revealed that Roof initially planned to conduct the shooting at the University of Charleston but decided against it because of the high level of security found on campus. Churches are supposed to be a safe haven (and yes, the particular church was significant in the civil rights movement), so he knew he would be safer there where surely no one would be carrying a weapon which could stop him from carrying out his murderous plan. He must have feared the weapons of security officials more than he feared God, for that church was sacred ground, and even Satan is said to flee when people pray. While his ultimate goal was to start a race war while fleeing justice, the result so far has been a revival of love and unity, while he is in the process of receiving justice. Lesson: It's better to fear God than man-made weapons. (Psalm 20:7)

They were hoping for 3000, but over 10,000 came. # unitychain over the Ravenel bridge.