Why did it happen and what do we do in response?

Last Sunday morning a little Christian congregation was the victim of a brutal attack.  Only a small handful of worshippers escaped unharmed.  It didn’t happen in a big urban city.  Islamic Terrorism was not the cause.  It happened in a very small town and early indications are that it was a tragic turn in a domestic dispute.  This was unprecedented in terms of lives lost, but, sadly, not in terms of setting.  There have been such crimes committed in churches before, in big ones and little ones,  in city churches and in country churches.  Not to be a pessimist, but rather a realist – it will almost certainly happen again.
 
Even as more details are coming to light, voices are demanding to know why this happened.  The “Why?” question carries with it the assumption that if we can get an answer to that, then we can pass laws to prevent it from happening again.  If only it were as simple as trying to control behavior.  The behavior is a symptom.  The causative problem is in the human heart.  God has been quite consistent in pointing this out.  He had no sooner caused the waters of the Flood to recede, than he observed about mankind, “..every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.” (Genesis 8:21b).  Jesus made the same sad point in Matthew 15:19, “...out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”  To put it simply, these terrible things happen because sin is in the world and sin is in human hearts and sin is in the thought processes and in the behaviors of people.  People commit sins because they – we – are sinful.
 
So what do we do in response to this horrible thing that happened last Sunday?  Putting our faith in more laws to prevent murder is to put our trust in people, and people fail.  Apparently, someone did not enter into the FBI database about the church attacker’s bad conduct discharge from the military for family violence.  If they had, his application to purchase a firearm would have been flagged and denied.  That’s human failure.  There must surely have been people who knew about his history and his ineligibility to own firearms, but said nothing to authorities.  That’s human failure.  Lots of men have problems getting along with their mother-in-law, but find some way to make the relationship work, avoiding such extreme violence.  There was human failure about that in this case, too.  I suppose more laws could be written and passed, but those, too, are of human origin and would be enforced by human beings.  There would certainly be failures and breakdowns there, too.
 
The point isn’t that we throw up our hands and do nothing.  The point rather is that we do the most important things.  Permit me to suggest a few.
 

1. Pray.  Pray that God foil such plots and plans to do such unspeakable evil.  Pray that he surround his people with angels to protect them.  Pray that when human beings disobey him and do such terrible things, that he keep us from holding God responsible for it.  Pray that when bad things do happen, God would keep us close to his Word for strength and comfort to endure.
2. Proclaim.  Proclaim the good news that only in Jesus is the problem of sin solved.  He atoned for it all at the cross, and in him every sinner can find forgiveness full and free.  Proclaim that good news because, first and foremost, it imparts eternal life so that we are ready whenever and however we step into eternity.  But also proclaim it knowing that it is the only thing that changes people from the inside out, changing behavior by changing the heart from which behavior springs.

 

1. Plan.  Whether it is in your home or in your place of worship, responsible adults should sit down with law enforcement and formulate a response plan in case such a thing should ever occur.  And once the plan is formulated, make time to rehearse it regularly enough that people would know what to do.  Jesus said in Matthew 10:16-17, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.  Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.  But be on your guard...”  Being on guard with a smart plan to thwart an attacker is not a lack of faith in God, it’s doing what Jesus says is appropriate for our situation.

 

1. Protect.  In that small Texas church, a mother gave her life in an effort to shield her children from the attacker with her own body.  Husbands, be determined to love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.  Parents, be determined to protect your children, entrusted to you by a gracious God to be brought up to know him, serve him, and be a force for the gospel in their time and place.  Pastors, be determined to protect the flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you a shepherd.  It’s what shepherds do, after all.  And especially for the preacher, it’s important to remember that that protection involves praying for your people, proclaiming the whole counsel of God to your people, and urging that a response plan is formulated and rehearsed.