Worship Shootings – A Hard Conversation that is More than Thoughts and Prayers

Followers of Jesus Christ should be having some hard conversations with God and within their congregations in the wake of the New Zealand Mosque shooting.

We live in times when worshipers have been gunned down in mosques, synagogues, and churches. How, then, shall the followers of Christ respond?

First, let us confirm on every level and at every opportunity that there is no Scriptural support for hate. Those who follow Jesus Christ are called to love God, love our neighbors, love the brotherhood of believers, love our enemies, love those who persecute us, and, indeed, love the world. That leaves no room for exceptions or doubt. Far from the aisles of politics and regardless of what our governments choose to do, we – Jesus-followers- are commanded to offer hospitality to the stranger in our midst and to love at all time – even under fire.

Our God loves with a love that lays down its life – not one that takes them in hate. We must lose our distaste of distinguishing for the world that not every person who identifies as a Christian is following Jesus. It’s not our job to judge the world, but it is our job to discipline our own house.

To love others is not the same as telling them they are right. We can love people of other faiths while still holding forth the truth of ours. We can love those who pose as sheep but reveal themselves to be wolves while still setting boundaries around their behavior and distinguishing them for true models of Christ. In fact, it is often loves job to say the hardest thing and so, we, the church of these times, must rise to this task and speak now.

Second, let us ask ourselves (and then act on our answers) how we, as Jesus-followers, can show the love of Jesus to people of other faiths who have experienced this pain of murderers targeting their sanctuaries? May I suggest we grieve and mourn with them? May I suggest we offer to stand watch by the doors of their places of worship? May I suggest we pray for them, befriend them, ask how we can serve them, listen to their sorrow and pain, and speak up for them in the marketplace of ideas? May I suggest we demonstrate a fearlessness about continuing to love in times of hatred that stems from our deep trust that Jesus is our ultimate deliverer?

Third, let us consider what we are doing – both as individuals and as congregations – to outreach the angry young men and women of our times? What are we doing to reach those who feel hatred is the answer? Those who feel disenfranchised, powerless, isolated, overlooked, hopeless, full of rage, and lost – are we doing all we can to find them and demonstrate love to them?

Because I promise you this – the enemy of God is investing considerable time, energy, and resources to find them, to reach them, and to weaponize them. He and his forces are on every street corner, every dark website, every chat room and subversive YouTube channel and coffee shop. They are delivering deception with a zeal that proves they understand the battle for souls in a way we’d better start to grasp.

Let us act. Let us talk with the young people in our midst and ask them to help us find those who are at risk of becoming the next angry shooter. Let us use every ounce of creativity, every resource, every prayer, every pizza parlor and coffee shop at our command to tell them there is another way and there is a place where they can find identity, belonging, and a role in a greater story.

We have an opportunity to live without fear in fearful times. We have an opportunity to love freely in days when hate would rule. We have an opportunity to unleash our worship from within the walls of our churches and let it march in the streets to announce that yes, there are shooters in our midst, but our God is still on the throne.

He is coming again, and the tensions and disruptions will increase until that day, but we will not fear. Billy Graham is quotes as having said, “The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.” The increasing danger of our times should not inspire us to fear, but to press in to Jesus as we never have be before and to live and love boldly in His name.

If not now, then when, loved ones? Let us learn to love under fire.

Worship Shootings – A Hard Conversation that is More than Thoughts and Prayers https://t.co/3SNDx9CtCf #NewZealandTerroristAttack #Jesus #faith

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) March 16, 2019