Lights in the Darkness

This past week/month has been devastating. Orlando's shooting in a gay night club, shooting of a black man by police in Baton Rouge, another in Minnesota, eleven officers shot (five who died) in Dallas protecting those protesting them. That does not include terror attacks and bombings in Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

I’m devastated that this week, husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles, sons, (I’m sure there were moms, sisters, aunts, nieces and daughters as well) were killed for no good reason. All these people were family members and friends, people who brought laughter and peace to those around them… people created and designed for abundant life.

In the middle of my devastated heart and struggling mind, I have been reminded of the consequence of sin in our world. When did we lose sight that life was worthless?

Many people are calling for this action and response. Let me remind you, that God has called you and me to love without condition, reservation or hesitation. God calls us to humble ourselves (realize we don't have the answers), repent of our sin (promoting our conditions, reservations and hesitations) and seek his face, then God will heal our land. This message is for those who are called by His name!

Some say the stars come out at night. The truth is, however, the stars are always there ~ they are just brighter the darker it gets. It is time for the church, the people who are to be a city on a hill, carriers of the light of Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven, to shine in the midst of our dark world. To love people regardless of the color of their skin, the uniforms they wear, the locale they come from or the condition of their mind, body or spirit. To only speak of love is worthless; faith without works is dead! We must love in word and deed, or honestly, the spirit of God is not in us and we have succumbed to the darkness of our world.

Returning violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars...darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that. ~ Martin Luther King