What words can truly describe what I and the rest of the United States of America are feeling today? There isn’t just one word that comes to mind to describe the exact emotion, but I think if I had to explain, it is a combination of fear, despair, confusion, shock, anger, sorrow and hurt.
I woke up this morning like I do any other Monday morning. I got ready for work, and as I sat down to eat breakfast, I opened Twitter. In that moment my heart sank. I saw the words “Deadliest shooting in modern history” on the screen of my phone, and another piece of my heart broke for my country and the world.
Each time a senseless act of terrorism takes the lives of innocent bystanders, the rest of us become a little bit more jaded. We become a little bit more hesitant. We should be able to attend a concert without fearing for our lives. We should be able to go to work, to the movies, board a flight, all of these things we should be able to do without putting ourselves in danger.
But sin.
When sin entered the world, so did opportunity for chaos, disaster, death and evil in all of its forms.
I caught myself asking, “Why God?” Why must we endure such pain and suffering? Why must we experience evil in its truest form of hate? When will attacks on us as the human race end?
The answer is that they won’t. Not on this side of eternity. The enemy is on the prowl, my friends. He is constantly seeking tools to destroy and divide us as a country, as a world and as the human race. Perhaps the better question is, how much longer will we give into the enemy’s ways?
How much longer will we look at our fellow man and see anything other than a beloved child of God? How much longer will we speak hate and spew words like venom, whether it be in person, online or in any way humanly possible? How much longer will it be until we, as followers of Christ, live with our eyes fixed on eternity rather than the things of this world that the enemy uses to seek, kill and destroy.
He comes like a thief in the night, stealing our peace, stealing our hope and stealing our community with each other. It is imperative that now, we stress the importance and urge our fellow man to love.
Love each other regardless of all of the ways the world tells us we are different. Love unconditionally and stop spreading hate. The moment you spread hate is the moment the devil can count another victory in his court.
Speak love. Spread love. Be love. And most importantly, be the light the ever-darkening world needs. Be the beacon of hope that a neighbor can depend on, no matter who they are or what they’ve done. I am praying for a revival in our country and in the world. It’s possible if we all join forces in light of eternity.
Eternity. The place where many who fell victim to the senseless act of hate last night entered into the gates of Heaven. What a day it will be when we join hands together, unified in Christ on those streets of gold.
Dear Jesus, please come.