Tragedy

Last Friday morning was the Aurora/Colorado/Batman Massacre as people have named it.  None of the names seem appropriate to me.  Somehow I feel like they are bringing glory to what happened instead of focusing on the good of the people, stories focused on the horror of the suspect's actions.

An intelligent man made a life-altering choice for himself and for numerous others.  This man I think of with distaste, pity, and sorrow.  I cannot imagine the state of his spiritual life to have come to a place where he chose to do the things he did.  I know the Christian thing would be to love him as Christ does, to pray for his salvation...I do desire those things for him, I don't know if I could do it if I were to meet him.  Not that that will ever happen.  I'm not involved whatsoever in this scenario aside from the people I know connected to it.  I question how he could sink so low, and I would go so far as to pray for him, to defend God's desire to see him changed.  My desire isn't there yet.  I don't have any desires good or bad for what happens to him.  I understand it was a senseless act and trying to understand the mind of someone like that is impossible and even dangerous.  I don't want to go there.

My heart hurts for the pain of the people in Aurora.  At first I heard the news and just wished it would go away.  I didn't want to have to deal with another sinful person who took the lives of innocents.  The same reason I avoid watching the nightly news...too much focus on the horrendous, the hurt and the broken.  But it wasn't something I could ignore and definitely something I couldn't avoid...the news stories were everywhere.

Thankfully, a church is actively seeking to help those hurting because of this incident.  A church that posts updates, offers unsolicited support in tangible ways, and a church that had 33 members in attendance that fateful night.  The city of Aurora held a prayer vigil, sponsored by the local government, and somehow, amazingly, God was at the center of it all. In my mind's eye I see a huge spiritual battle over the city of Aurora, Colorado right now.  What Satan had worked for evil is being used for God's glory.  Over and over I hear of the many things that God is doing through this tragedy.  And I am thankful.  I praise the Lord for his loving arms of comfort and encouragement.  I praise him for his faithful servants.  I look forward to seeing what more good things God will bring out of this devastation.