In Harm's Way

We can recognize that God grants us the capacity to be strong and ready to face challenging
situations. As Moses said his farewell before his death, he related in Deuteronomy 31:
6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."
7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.
8 And the Lord, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed."

Life is going to present challenges to us, and our faith will be tested.  A big question is whether or not we will be ready to face those trials and depend on the strength of the Lord.  The best time to face adversity is when we are not experiencing it.  We can build ourselves up, "work out" our faith so that when the pressure comes, we are able to appropriate the resources that God makes available to us. He will strengthen us from the inside, and the growth of His Word in our hearts and minds will assist us in that preparation.

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There is a verse in 1st Corinthians 16 that encourages us to be prepared, alert, and dependent on
God's strength. We can read:
13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

Then,
14 Let all that you do be done with love.

It was certainly a harrowing day in the Nashville area, with an early morning shooting in which 4 people lost their lives and four others were injured at a Waffle House in Antioch, one of the Nashville suburbs where there was a church shooting last year.  By sunset, the alleged gunman, who had fled the scene, was still at large.

But, in addition to the tragedy that occurred at the restaurant, an encouraging story line emerged, and it had to do with a customer by the name of James Shaw.  WSMV Television reported:

According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, James Shaw Jr. saw the suspect wrestling with the gun and interfered with him, taking it from him and tossing it behind the counter.

The gunman was near the front door and was "having issues with restocking" and "Shaw ran through the door as hard as he could and hit him with the door, forcing him to drop the gun." The article reported:

The two men wrestled until Shaw was able to grab the AR-15 and throw it over the counter. Shaw said he ran the gunman out of the restaurant before going inside to check on the other victims.

Shaw said, "I have a 4-year-old daughter, And that came to mind probably after the fact. The only thing I was thinking was save yourself and get the gun away from him..."

WSMV stated, "Police are crediting Shaw for stopping the violence before any more people were
killed." Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson said, "The real definition of a hero is someone who knows the danger they are facing, and yet, takes that action..."

But, the story said that Shaw is downplaying the characterization as a hero. He said, "I did what I think most people would've done in that situation if you actually think about it," adding, "Once you're in that position and you see there's nothing else for you to do, there's a brick wall, and he's standing there with a gun. You have to react."

Shaw was "grazed by a bullet" and "burned his hand while trying to grab the gun."  But, after enduring what was no doubt a frightening, emotional experience, James Shaw Jr. did not go back home and stay for the rest of the day.  As the television station reported:

After getting released from the hospital, Shaw went to church with his family and friends.

"I'm not over it, but it helped me," he said.

The Tennessean reported that:

Shaw Jr. received a phone call from Nashville Mayor David Briley after the shooting.

The hero invited Briley to the Nashville church he has attended since he was a baby.

With Briley by his side, Shaw Jr. cried for the third time during the church service.

It goes on to say:

During the 10 a.m. church service, friends and fraternity brothers flocked to see Shaw Jr.

Over 10 fraternity brothers went to the church to see him, with his hand wrapped, but bleeding from the burns and altercation.

One of his friends said, "What he did, it never crossed my mind as something he wouldn’t have done,” adding, “He’s a man of honor.”

Shaw told WKRN Television, "I’m not a greatly religious person,” and added, “I don’t want this to be a major moment in my life. I went to church to get past it.” 

It will likely take a while for Mr. Shaw to "get over it" or "get past it."  And, he will need the encouragement and reinforcement of his church family for strength.  Even though he downplays the importance of faith, perhaps this is an event, tragic as it is, that God will use in his life.  We never know what God will use in order to draw us closer to Himself, but Scripture teaches that even tragedy can be a precursor to God's glory - He works out His character in us through our trials.  And, I do not think it is a small thing that James went to church after this ordeal.

James Shaw obviously had the reputation of being a "man of honor;" what he did was not a surprise to the gentlemen who commented to the newspaper.  We can be challenged to think about the reputation that we build and make sure that by our lives, we are projecting a sense of integrity.  We can aspire to be honorable people.

I think we can also consider the concept of readiness.  This was a dangerous situation, in which a man with a rifle was shooting people in a restaurant; James Ward disarmed him and saved lives - yes, he is a hero!  But, there may be situations, not necessarily life-threatening, in which we are called to intervene.  There may be a conflict that needs the touch of a peacemaker, there may be truth that needs to be spoken in the life of a friend or family member.  There may be resources that God has given to us that are needed in a particular situation. We are called to be ready for those moments in which God calls us to act and realize that He provides the resources in order that we may work effectively to bring Him glory.