In the aftermath of the Orlando shooting, as my heart ached for the families and friends of those so ruthlessly gunned down, my head is in a far darker place. This was a religious killing, the gunning down of 'the guilty' in the name of God-in this case known by the Arabic translation, Allah. But this is not a diatribe or an accusation against Islam. No, I fear for those of my own faith.
I wonder in what corners of Christendom there are those who feel this was for the best. Maybe they will not jump on social media and tell the world they thought that this man was carrying out the justice of God, but in their hearts and in their halls, this was the consensus.
It grieves me to wonder when the mercy of the Lord will outweigh the vengeance of the Lord in the hearts of so many of my fellow Christians. How many people have to die before someone says 'enough'? Or are we so jaded that, while we might not pull the trigger, we will not condemn the nut who does.
I was "we" because, in other circumstances, I might sing to the Lord with brothers and sisters of such belief. I may not know about it, because I know not their hearts. But someone else might know their hearts and assume that I am as they, haters and not lovers of forgiveness.
It is my conviction that the love of God will overcome the prejudice that stalks the church. Many, many Christians rally with thoughts and prayers and good wishes to those who were lost. Sexuality is not a measure of faith. But for many more, this incident may cause stirrings of the mercy of God, but when judgment is so ingrained, it seems only the power of God can overcome.
May God's power overcome the prejudice against people because of their sexual orientation.
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