Las Vegas: A Response — Fearfully & Wonderfully Jo

This morning, my eyes opened, and I was met with death… again.

A mobile alert popped onto the screen as I turned on my phone, and it did not bring with it good news. Immediately, several words stood out to me: Las Vegas, killed, shooting. The first thought in my head was, not again.

In case there’s anyone who doesn’t know what I’m referring to, I’m just going to sum up what happened real quick. Last night, a gunman opened fire on a crowd of attendees during the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. As of now, the death count is 58 and there are at least 515 injured, making this event the largest mass shooting in recent U.S. history. (Find the full story here: http://abcnews.go.com/US/58-dead-515-injured-las-vegas-shooting-suspect/story?id=50223240 )

One year. This happened just one year after the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. That’s not a lot of time between two mass shootings. It is honestly so sad that we are able to use the word “again” when talking about tragic events like this.  Mass killings are becoming so frequent that they are losing their element of surprise. What used to be a rare occurrence has become something that we are slowly getting accustomed to. Why am I no longer surprised when the words “mass shooting” appear on my screen? Why is “shooting” becoming commonplace in my vocabulary? Why are places of enjoyment becoming places of possible danger? Why are people like this? Why?

It’s funny because a few days ago, at a retreat organized by Epic, my campus ministry, I had just spent time praying for situations like this. For the brokenness of the world that compels people to commit these atrocious actions. And within the span of a few days, it happens again. The irony of the timing makes me want to laugh and cry all at the same time.

When events like this happen, I want to hate the shooter. I want to hate the stabber. I want to hate the instigator. But I really have no right to. Whenever I sin or do something that displeases God, I am no better than a shooter who kills 58 people. Sin is sin, no matter how big or small. We really can’t blame the person holding the gun. He is only a channel through which sin wrecks and breaks the world. We are all channels. As humans, it is impossible to close ourselves off to sin. But what we can do is focus on God and respond to sin with love. Even though it is difficult, I know I am called to love the shooter, to love the stabber, to love the instigator. In the midst of all the prayers going out to the victims, we must also remember to pray for the shooter. He is also a victim. A victim of sin and of a darkness that threatens to extinguish any trace of God’s love and truth.

Call me insensitive, but I do believe good comes out of tragic events. It is a good reminder of the urgency of the situation at hand. The world is undeniably broken. There has been proof of it over and over again. We must be bringers of light. We must reach the lost sheep. And we must pray. Prayer is a powerful cure. Pray that the eyes of those whom have been blinded may be opened to the brilliance of God’s magnificent love.

So, I urge all those who are reading this. Do not fulfill Satan’s desires. Satan wants us to hate the killer. He wants us to harbor feelings of bitterness and respond to it accordingly. But we CANNOT! We MUST NOT! Instead, allow the brokenness of the world to break our hearts. And take heed of God’s call to find His lost sheep and bring them back home, into the loving arms of their one and only savior.

~jo