Response to the Responses to Orlando

Unfortunately, we live in a time where there is evil in the world. Too many times, we turn on the news and hear of another tragedy that happened. When they are in other parts of the world, we get numb to them. We pass off violence in Africa because they are not as far along as a society as we are. We ignore violence in the Middle East because they have a long history of killing each other. Too often, though, the news has not been coming from overseas. It is coming from our own backyards. Does that make the violence worse? No, but sad to say we pay attention to it more. We feel our way of life is being attacked.

In the wake of the horrible attacks like Sandy Hook or Orlando or of the many others we hear about, we as Americans feel we need to do something. We line up on our different sides: “BAN ALL GUNS” vs. “EVERYONE SHOULD BE PACKING” (Please note that both of these sides were represented with hyperbole on purpose. I have not heard anyone say either one of these statements). If we have more guns on the street, we will have more accidents and more incidents of people being shot over misunderstandings. If we have fewer guns on the street, we will have more opportunity for crime and larger shooting sprees by criminals with guns. We had crime and murder before guns were invented.

If we look at both sides, they are both trying to reduce the number of incidents and the number of victims. Neither one is getting to the root of the problem. The real problem is that we have people who get to the place where they feel hate and killing people is the only way to deal with it. Jesus tells us to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Matthew 5:44. As one of my relatives put on Facebook from the band “Gungor” “We don’t have to agree on a single thing in order to be kind to one another.”

“But Brad, they were in a gay bar so they got what they deserved.” Wrong attitude. First of all, we ALL deserve much worse because of our sin against God. They are no more a group of sinners than those that fill our churches on Sunday mornings. If God gave us what we deserved, there would be no one left on earth. Second, they were made in God’s image just like the rest of us. And taking someone’s life is a grievous sin in the Bible because you are marring the image of God. Thus, 50 people were killed and 50+ were injured for no good reason. We should be sad at the situation and we need to mourn and pray for the victims and families. Pray that God will make himself real to those left behind as well as comfort and healing during this time.

“Brad, does it matter that the shooter had ties to ISIS?” Unless we can tie him to a broader conspiracy to have multiple attacks like this, it appears he acted alone. Even if he was trained by ISIS, which no one has said anything like that, the fact that he is Muslim is a side note only. He does not represent all of the Islamic faith just like Westborough Baptist does not represent all Christians. Just because someone shoots at or blows up an abortion clinic does not mean they are acting in the will of the God of the Bible.

On the other hand, like it or not, the facts are that ISIL, ISIS, Boko Haram, and the Taliban (to name a few of the Radical Islamic Terrorist groups) are more active in terrorist attacks in the last few years than at any time in history. Does that mean all Muslims are terrorists? Not at all. Most are not. But to say that these groups are not Islamic is to not be realistic about their origins. Just like Christians can have their own favorite area of the Bible and try to down play or ignore the parts they do not like, Muslims do the same thing.

Bottom line is this: this incident should not bring us to ban all guns or to give everyone a gun. It should not be thought of a punishment for the gay lifestyle. It should not cause us to look at our Muslim neighbor any differently. It should cause us to mourn, grieve, and pray for those that lost their lives. It should make us rethink our lives to make sure we are following Jesus as our Lord and Savior. And finally, it should make us increase our efforts of sharing the Gospel with those who do not know you. Because we never know where evil will strike again. It might even be in your own town. As Queen Esther was told, “And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 She was able to save her countrymen. 

Who are you supposed to point to Jesus?

Patience: Negative and Positive

Today, my reading in Psalms was chapter 78:38-43:

"Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.
He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again.
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert!
They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,
when he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan."

In this passage, the psalmist is reflecting on how much the people of Israel turned away from God but God was merciful. Another term we use for this is “patience”. When we say that God has patience, we are referring to the fact that as humans, we let God down but then he in return does not give us what we deserve. This is the negative aspect of patience that reminds us of another phrase that means the same thing: “long-suffering”. Someone has to endure the mistakes of another.

As parents, we need to show this type of patience to our kids often. Maybe they break something or they can’t find their black belt that they need for the concert in 2 hours so you have to go and buy a new one…only to find it when you get home after the concert. Just saying. While some of us are better than others at this, these types of things are what comes to mind first when we think of patience.

In The Songs of Jesus, Tim Keller has a passage, a little devotional and then a prayer. One phrase in his phrase on this passage gave me pause. The prayer was “Lord Jesus, the old meaning of patience is ‘long-suffering’ and you indeed suffered infinitely rather than give me the punishment my sins deserved. You have been unspeakably patient with me. Let that truth make me patient with people around me, and with my circumstances, and with your every disposal of my life. Amen.” The phrase that caught my attention was the last one: “and with your every disposal of my life”. At first, I needed to think about what that meant. God was not getting rid of me, so it is not the first meaning of the word. After a while, it seemed the best definition was like “at one’s disposal” meaning “available to be used”.

To put that phrase in other words, he is saying that we need to be patient with God when he uses us or when he is working in our lives. We need to go through a hard time now so that God could be glorified later. Because we are not enduring someone else’s sin, this could be looked at as the positive version of patience. Almost like watching a video where someone says, “Wait for it”. Something good is coming and it will be worth it.

Unfortunately, this is harder for me to endure. Why? That is a good question and I am not sure I have a complete answer. Part of it is that I am not in control. Part is I do not know what to do. Part is I am not sure how long. In other words, I do not trust God enough to hold on to the promise that the end will be worth it.

This psalm is chastising the Israelites for forgetting what God has done for them and how faithful God has been to them. Am I not in the same boat? To paraphrase a song we sang on Sunday with Communion, Jesus surrendered all for us; we should give him all of us in return. That includes being patient with His “every disposal of my life”.