I lived in Charleston, South Carolina for two years and passed Emanuel AME Church many times on day trips downtown. There’s really no other city like Charleston; so charming and beautiful with awesome restaurants and obvious hospitality. I’m proud of the people at Emanuel AME Church for exemplifying what a Christian is supposed to be – putting aside raw human emotion and recognizing the grace that Jesus displays by offering forgiveness first. But forgiveness does not mean weakness.
Growing up in church you believe it’s the one place you could go to feel safe; like a second home. But this week that security was threatened and a major question has christians wondering: Should we carry guns to church to protect ourselves?
Killing is wrong and a punishiable sin by God. God doesn’t take kindly to those who shed blood- we read this in the Bible over and over again. He creates life and only He has the power to take life away because only He can truly see the heart of man and has the power to judge accordingly (1 Sam 16:7). However, beside being a force of grace and forgiveness, God is also a man of war (Ex 15:3)
Throughout the old testament we see how many times he has taken vengence over those who have blasphemed Him or disobeyed Him. We see people like King Saul, King David, Samson, Joshua, Jael and so many other who lived a life of shedding blood to defend the honor and will of God. God hasn’t changed, he is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). So what would make us think that he wouldn’t bring vengence on those who disobey his command and blasphem his name today?
But here is the problem. Many who believe they’re doing the Will of God go on these insane killing missions such as blowing up abortion clinics or seeking genocide of a particular race or culture. God DOES NOT nor WILL EVER see that as acceptable. The only time God allowed blood shed was when his people were attacked or threatened first. There’s a difference between seeking death or defending ourselves.
Personally, I don’t see a problem with a someone who is trustworthy and trained to carry to gun be allowed to do so in church. Remember, King David had a sword. I also don’t see a problem with individuals arming themselves should they themselves be of sound mind and judgement. Gun laws should be tighter, but arming ourselves should always be allowed when all precautions are met.
The problem with this country is our government looks at the result and not the root of the problem. They see a school or church being shot up and believe that guns are the issue. FALSE. Hatred and anger is the issue. The unstable mind is the issue. But no one has been taking about tighter laws on the mentally or emotionally unstable – they want to take away guns. Knives kill, so do bats and lead pipes as well as ropes and even water, but we don’t mention those weapons. ANYTHING is a weapon when you have motive and opportunity. But they don’t talk about that.
Would things have been different if someone in the Emanuel Church was carrying a gun? Possibly. But for the Christian the end result is always the same; how we respond to those who persecute and hurt us will always seperate us from the rest of the world. God determines the outcome of every situation and if God didn’t want them to die, He could have interupted that services or that gun could have jammed and changed the course of that night. His ways are always higher than ours and He sees what we could never see. But His name was glorified this week through tthose church people. Those citizens responded exactly how we need to and served as our example and a true light of the world. Those nine lives are probably in heaven right now added to souls that are pleading to God to take His judgement on those who killed them (Revelation 6:10). And God will. He will judge those who shed blood, he will judge this world and its sin, our only job is to make sure we represent Him correctly through every situation, because this life is not about us. It’s about His life through us.
God bless those men and women at Emanuel AME Church that showed the world what real Christians do when faced with devestation. You are in our prayers and in our hearts always. #CharlestonStrong
#Gunsdontkillpeople #PeopleKillpeople
Becoming Invincible 