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Pastor-to-People
Once again our nation has been plagued by gun violence on a bloody Wednesday. First, the shooting at Evergreen High School near Denver that left two students wounded, one critically, and the shooter dead. This was the 47th school shooting in the US this year. Then, that afternoon, came the political assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah. Both are to be condemned for the same reasons. Gun violence cannot be our preferred method of solving our differences, whether they are personal issues between students or political issues between citizens. The moment that violence triumphs, that is when our community and nation are in deep trouble.
When I was in high school the principal came over the loudspeaker during
my German class to announce that President Kennedy had been killed in
nearby Dallas. What a shock. We were told to put our heads on our desks to pray. We were all so bewildered and shocked. I still remember my German teacher being so unsettled that finally she asked us to start conjugating German verbs! I remember that moment like it was yesterday.
With all the hatred and division in our country, it is imperative that we as followers of Jesus Christ remember that our Lord died a violent and unjust death, a kind of political assassination if you will. So we can never applaud when someone is murdered, regardless of their political leanings. We are called to pray for the victim's friends and family and pray for our country, so deeply divided. Our calling is to be peacemakers who work for reconciliation and kindness. Let us pray that all forms of hatred be removed from our hearts and minds. Finally, we are all citizens of this nation and as children of God we have a special calling: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."
Peace and hope,
Frank
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