Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,
In the space of only eleven days, we have witnessed two horrific mass shootings in our nation. On May 14, an 18-year-old self-described white supremacist killed ten black people and injured three others at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York. On May 24, at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, another 18-year-old killed 19 children and two adults.
While we were shocked to hear the news of these two senseless acts of violence, we were not surprised. Such incidents have become far too commonplace in our nation. We feel powerless in the face of such evil, and in the inability of our leaders to stem the tide of this epidemic of evil and violence.
But we are not powerless.
As God’s people, we “do not grieve as those who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
Right now, we must pray. We not only pray for the victims, their families, witnesses to the shootings and the communities involved, but we also denounce violence in all its forms, especially these most heinous ones.
We also call on our elected officials of all parties at all levels to put aside their political differences to craft policies that will prevent further mass killings from happening in the future.
And we remember the words of Jesus (Matthew 5:3-10) as they apply to those who are suffering, to all people of good will, and to ourselves:
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for their’s is the Kingdom of Heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the Earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called the Sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
May we work with one another and other willing partners to bring about God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Larry Hovis,
CBFNC Executive Coordinator
