(By Russell Moore, The Washington Post). While millions of other Christians were singing hymns or opening their Bibles or taking communion this past Sunday, at that very moment, a gunman was opening fire on the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Tex. This, believed to be the largest church shooting in history, ended with at least 26 people killed, according to authorities.
Several children were among the fallen, including pastor Frank Pomeroy’s 14-year-old daughter Annabelle. Whatever the shooter’s twisted objective might have been, we do know this: It won’t work.
The goal the gunman sought, to terrorize worshipers, has been attempted constantly over the centuries around the world by cold, rational governments and terrorist groups — all thinking that they could, by the trauma of violence, snuff out churches, or at least intimidate those churches into hiding from one another. Such violent tactics always end up with the exact opposite of what the intimidators intend: a resilient church that, if anything, moves forward with even more purpose than before. Why?
Whether they are crazed loners in the United States or jihadist cells in Syria or governing councils in the old Soviet bloc, these forces fundamentally misunderstand the source of Christianity’s strength in the first place. Killers assume, after all, that gunfire or poison gas or mass beheadings will show Christians how powerless we are. That is true. They assume that this sense of powerlessness will rob the community of its will to be the church. That is false.
If they looked overhead, in almost any of the churches they attempt to destroy, these killers might see what they miss: the cross.
1 Comment. Leave new
We tend to forget sometimes the “Church” had to fight, claw, bleed and suffer for over the first 300 years of its existence. Be it the Roman cross or sword, or murder by the adherents of the various cultic practices the Church competed against in the ancient world. Suffering, pain, sacrifice, blood are in the DNA of the Church and its followers.
Quite a stark contrast the cold, bloodless, rationality of the old mainline Protestantism. And you see this play out after every mass shooting national tragedy. Secularists, non-faith folks will tend to light candles, make make shift shrines, and memorials to the dead, drop off stuffed teddy bears, sing John Lennon songs. And or use the event for a political end, lobby for gun control. Christians, those of faith will respond by what? By prayers, worship, giving God honor and glory, and guess what, Go to church at the exact same spot or location next Sunday. While others cower, hide, lament the world, we proclaim Christ and He risen. And evil, evil actions or actors or events of this fallen world does not compromise either the Sovereignty or Grace of God. We are here, in the open, and will are not going anywhere. Paul told the Church 2,000 years ago, those not in the body are present in the spirit. And we will not be overcome by the World.