On Sunday we woke up
to the tragic news of another mass shooting. While merely one of dozens of such
tragedies in recent years, this one was different, in some ways.
For one thing, it was the deadliest
mass shooting in the nation’s history, with 49 innocent victims plus the
shooter dying by gunfire. 53 more people were injured, but as of the time of
this writing, the hope is that the death toll will not rise.
Another difference is that this one
involved a bar that catered to the homosexual community.
It was classified a “hate crime”
because it was directed at a certain segment of society, though I suspect that
most mass killings are motivated largely by hate.
It was classified an act of terror,
because reports suggest that the killer had been radicalized by association
with one or more terrorist groups which, while often in conflict with one
another, share one overarching commonality—they hate America.
But in the end, this one was pretty
much like all the others. More sons and daughters perished. More friends died.
More neighbors wouldn’t return home at the end of the day. More police, EMTs
and first responders put their lives on the line for complete strangers once again
What, some have asked, is the proper
Christian response to this horrific tragedy? The fact that the question is
posed at all is sad. It is a testimony to how polarized we are, not only as a
nation, but as a community of believers who profess that Jesus is our Savior
and Lord.
The proper response? Sadness. Grief.
Mourning. In Old Testament times, such a tragedy would have led people to “rend
their clothes” and to clothe themselves in sackcloth and ashes.
The proper response? Outrage. How
dare someone, for whatever reason, harbor such hatred and malice so as to
unilaterally decide that some human lives aren’t worth living.
Let me be clear. The homosexual
lifestyle is sinful in the eyes of God. But those of us who hold to the
Scriptural teaching regarding homosexuality should not in any way view this
criminal act as just or right or acceptable. To do so is to deny that our God
is a God of grace and mercy.
I do not hate the homosexual. I hate
the sin.
I do not hate the adulterer. Or the
alcoholic. Or the liar, cheater or thief.
I cannot hate them, because I am a
sinner just like them. I don’t think that they should be attacked for their sin
any more than I should be attacked for mine. I do not believe that they should
be ostracized from society or banned from the culture.
That’s true of most Christians I know.
We are capable of complex thoughts, attitudes and beliefs. We are capable of
believing something is sin just because God’s Word declares it so, while at the
same time being able to associate with and minister to those who practice such
sin.
There
are some on the fringes of Christianity who have gloried in this tragedy. They
use vile and vulgar terminology that adds nothing to the public discourse. They
hold hateful and spiteful attitudes that call into question the legitimacy of
their relationship with the Christ of Scriptures. They do not represent the
heart of Christianity and should not be elevated to such status in the public
eye.
My heart breaks for the men and
women who lost loved ones in this affair. I grieve for my country because of
this attack on us. I mourn for the Orlando community as they struggle to deal
with this senseless tragedy.
My
condolences are not inauthentic nor my sorrow disingenuous because of my
understanding of right and wrong based on the teaching of the Bible. I do not
apologize for my beliefs nor do I yield my right to express sadness in times of
such sorrow. I condemn those who would use this attack as an excuse to score
political or theological points. And the comfort I draw in a time like this is
that the God of the Bible is still on the throne, and the hope—the only hope—we
have is in Him.
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