A couple of weeks ago a gunman entered a church and began to shoot those who were in attendance that sunday morning. He was an enemy who came through the gates and sought to make victims of the helpless. He was like a lion going to and fro throughout the earth seeking to steal, kill and destroy.
There are debates going on about what that woman (and the church) had done (or should have done) to protect those who had entered their establishment. Was there too much force? Should they have allowed themselves to be killed without fighting back as a Christian witness? Or was the act of saving the innocent just?
In Rome the authorities rounded up Christians and sent them to the forum. A great witness as Christians, covered in tar and hung on polls, were lit up at night to provide light and entertainment for the pagan populace. Torn by lions, put to the sword, etc. Sounds like a Hebrews moment.
Is this always to be the case?
A man and his wife, with two male friends from church, are walking down the street. Someone jumps out knocks the man to the ground and then begins to rape his wife. The husband and friends then go to their knees and pray while the rapist continues?
Your child is being attacked by other children, getting his head kicked in, again on your knees and prayer?
I might stand there and be beaten by others if the only danger is to myself. It is a different thing when it extends to others who are to be “under my protection.”
The woman who fired the shot will be struggling with the fact that she had taken a life. I think that far better than a dozen or more families struggling with the fact that a crazed gunman killed their husbands, wives and children while everyone stood by and watched.
My hat is off to those Mennonites who forgave the gunman who killed their children last year. But would they have simply stood by and allowed the gunman to kill their children if they had the means to stop him? I don’t know.
Remember that these are crisis moments. How would you respond? Would I cower in fear? Would I throw myself at the enemy? Or would I go down onto my knees and pray while it is happening in front of me. Honestly, I don’t know. I would most likely have a different response depending on the kind of day I was having.
Did this woman who shot the killer do right? A big part of me shouts “yes!” Yet a small part of me whispers “no.” I have placed my life at risk to help an older couple being attacked in their home. I am glad that I helped them. I am even happier that it is a very rare occurence.
What would you have done in that church, that sunday morning? Throw yourself at the killer? Stood there and pray for intervention? Cower under the pew crying for God to protect you? Or simply run away with no thought for the people being shot? We hope we know what we would do… but only God knows for sure.
Let us extend grace to the woman and to the church, and let God do the judging.
I believe in forgiveness. Without that we are all sunk, because we all sin and need God’s grace. I also believe in prevention. The principals that Jesus taught indicate that he was an advocate for the underprivileged, the poor, the downtrodden and the disadvantaged, the widow, the orphan, the children and those that could not help themselves. The turning of the other cheek has to do with an assault on our own person and I think that has more to do with being assaulted because of our faith, nothing else.
If I saw anybody try to assault another person, especially a women or a child, I would be in there like a dirty shirt doing everything in my power to stop it, even if the assailant got killed in the process. We are to follow our governments laws and it is within the law to self protect or protect another helpless person. I may need forgiveness afterward, just like the assailant, but this is not the unforgiveable sin is it?
Any other action in my opinion would be cowardly and anti- Christlike.
How could any person who says he loves Jesus and others, turn his or her back on the crys of someone in trouble and not do something about it?
That to me would be the bigger sin.
I don’t know what I would do. My tendency in a crisis is to stay very calm, and think. (Sometimes too long, maybe – I don’t instantly jump) If I can do something, I will. If I can’t, I withdraw to make room for someone else who can. That’s my tendency, anyways. Then I freak out later.
Whether or not that would be helpful in this case, I don’t know. What I would do in this case, I don’t know.
When Jeff had his brain aneurism, I kind of stepped back (after calling 911) because I figured the paramedics knew more than I did. When it became clear that they weren’t going to help (they thought it was a bad drug trip), I got a lot more assertive.
Patti……OUCH! What a case of prejudice on the part of those paramedics. I though they were trained to be impartial, I guess not! Just because a guy has an earring, a tatoo and a different hair cut and they automatically assume he is on drugs. That is just wrong. I know as a bus driver working with the public, we are trained to treat everybody the same. The rules are made for everyone without exception and without prejudice.
God makes us all different for different reasons. I’m the one right in there without thinking too much about it and someone like you has time to think about what is happening. We need people like you later to tell people like me and others what just happened and to give some further thoughtful direction. The last time I checked, praying was doing something too. God is in control I believe.
Oh! by the way, you were the one that called 911. That was doing something extremely important. You must have been shaking while you were doing it. You are a very brave lady.
I have often wondered what I would do if I were attacked: particularly,if I was alone. I am frequently in vulnerable situations where others have been attacked : e.g. Walking to my car at night in a mall parking lot: on the church lot when I’m going to my car and I’m the only one on the lot: or going to my car in any secluded area. It can happen: one of our Crossfire friends was attacked several weeks ago, ten feet from her apartment door and lost her purse. At my age, I don’t think I could physically protect myself from some young buck who was in a drug induced rage. I don’t think God wants us to be pacifists in these kinds of situations. I do think that He wants us to be totally dependent on Him. Of course, I pray for protection and so far, He has provided for me. But, what if I forget to pray ? Or, what if He decides to test my faith ? I have thought a lot about this because of my frequent vulnerability. And, you can laugh or shake your head, but, I have rehearsed in my mind, what I would do. In 1John 4:4, it says, †the spirit that is within you, is greater than the spirit that lives in the world “. My response to an attack would be to say to the attacker, †I am a son of God: no evil spirit has any power over me. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of His Holy Spirit, I rebuke you and demand that you leave this place “. Honestly, I have faith that God would protect me. I know that there are a variety of potential circumstances that might make it difficult to get the attention of the attacker, but, again I believe that we have to trust God.
Dad, I got some advice from a good friend once and she said beware of your surroundings and what is going on and go with your gut instincts. If you need help you choose who helps you and don’t let them choose you. If you can call the police or your son, cause if anybody messes with you and I can do something about it, they may regret it. I guess I have a way to go before I reach that turn the other cheek plateau.