It's a God Thing....
So I just got home from MBSF (Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship)...No I am not a Missionary Baptist...I am technically Cumberland Presbyterian but I prefer the term Christian...anyway, I go to a Ladies Bible Study there on Tuesday and then try to make it to the regular service on Thursday night (sometimes homework gets in the way)...
Anyway, tonight as we talked about the tragic events of this past week, I realized that while nearly everyone remembers to pray for the victims' families, nearly no one says anything about praying for the shooters and their families? Today, I learned the truth, the WHOLE truth, and nothing but the truth regarding the story behind the shooting that took 2 students' lives. The truth that you won't read in the paper or on the internet but the real truth as told by police and the resident assistant (RA) that was there and lived through it. As I sit here and write, I just feel compelled to pray for the shooters and their families. I want to know what happened that made them feel they had a "right" to do this. I don't mean that cynical...they obviously had a reason..while I know (but don't understand) the initial reason for coming to UCA on Sunday night, I will NEVER understand why they chose to take the lives of innocent people who were in no way their targets. Ryan and Chavares didn't do anything wrong that night...they really were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I have always felt safe at UCA...I have walked through campus alone after dark..home from the library or the a late night run to the student center...At some point I have walked in the exact same places that those two men were killed...God was with me and I never worried about something bad happening...I come from a community where no one locks their houses, their cars, and usually their purses are in their vehicles. I never once have not felt safe at home and now that UCA is my "home away from home", I have always felt safe and never really gave it a second thought...While I still don't feel unsafe, I am as my Mom put it "more aware" I suppose. I realize that no matter where you are, the world is never truly danger free and that death is inevitable...But what I also realize is that as long as I have God holding my hand leading me through life, it doesn't really matter where I go or what I do...I will ALWAYS be safe in his arms...and when death comes, while it may be sad for everyone around me, it won't be a sad day for me...it will a joyous one as I will finally get to sit on God's lap and be surrounded by angels and see family and friends that have passed on before me...
Kinda weird on the two tragic events in my life happening almost in the same week could make me feel more comforted than I was before they occured. Guess we'd just have to call that "a God thing."
posted by Reannon 'lizbeth | 7:23 PM
2 Comments:
Praying for the shooters and the family and friend of the shooters shows spiritual maturity. Jesus prayed for those who murdered him on the cross. Stephen prayed for those who were stoning him to death. We are instructed to pray for those who do harm. It will eventually bring us peace if we are not praying down constant curses and hate but praying as scripture instructs.
Concerning the family of the shooters, the Lord says in scripture that fathers will not be held responsible for the sins of their sons and sons will not be held responsible for the sins of their fathers. Each shall be responsible for himself. Yet what do we do in this culture? We shun and even punish the family of those who commit crimes as if they themselves committed the crime. They are simply hurting people whose family member has betrayed them. They are innocent most of the time. Their crime is being born into the same family, not anything else. Sometimes the family member who committed the crime was also doing things to them, such as being abusive. You are doing well to pray for them. If they are not christian, maybe they will turn to the Lord if they can find mature christians who will not hold the sins of a family member against them and drive them away. (Sadly, such groups of mature christians are far too rare, which must grieve Jesus. Pray for cold hearted christians too, who do not live by the Christ's example)
As for those who died, there are some scriptures that could explain from God's point of view and give comfort. One is Isa 57:1 (I like this one when the unthinkable happens)
Another is 1 Kings 14:13 (when you read the whole story you see it was God's mercy to spare him what was coming to everyone else)
Thank you for giving me an idea to blog about myself. I am a CP pastor in another state and these things happen here too. Mercy, grace and peace be unto you.
What is the real story?
Yeah, I know what you mean. I had that thought, too. The families of the shooters are hurting just as much as those of the victims, even if in a different way. The victim's families lost loved ones, but the shooters have made their family grapple with the idea that their sons were capable of taking lives. Crazyness.
I'm glad you're liking and going to MBSF. How is everyone there? How are you? How are things with you and friends? Will you tell all of them hi for me and that I miss them? I love you, Rea!
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