Not Idly By

In a world that specializes in dishonor, we can be careful to show God's perspective toward all
individuals, even those with whom we disagree. 1st Peter 2 says:
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--
16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

We can be challenged to look for opportunities to serve, to allow the presence of God to be manifested through us.  Our actions toward all people can communicate a powerful message consistent with the presence of God through us.  We have an important role in the Kingdom of God, and when God grants us an assignment, we can be bold and dependent on His Spirit within, so that we carry out what He wishes to convey.

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God calls us to be on the alert, to be ready to obey Him as He directs us by His Spirit, to respond in the Spirit - willing to be involved in His work. 2nd Timothy 4 states:
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

A pastor in Washington state concluded his Father's Day sermon recently by praying this: "Lord...don't let us be content as men to just let life go by, to see the world around us burn. God, instead, help us to get involved."

And, so, as the Chicago Tribune reported, as David George, pastor of the Oakville, Washington, Assembly of God Church, concluded his sermon on "The Value of MENtoring," which the story said was "about how much difference an individual can make in the lives of others," a new adventure was about to unfold.

Later that day, Pastor George, his wife, daughter, and granddaughter went a Walmart over 25 miles away to Tumwater, WA, to make an exchange.  As they stood in the checkout line, he heard the sound of gunshots.  The Tribune reported that a "crime rampage was unfolding."  The article stated:

A man was firing a handgun at the store's locked ammunition case to grab more bullets. He had already carjacked a vehicle that day and attempted to hijack another one, firing shots and wounding people along the way, Tumwater police say. Now he was stocking up on ammunition for more carnage in the store's parking lot.

The shooter then went into the parking lot and tried to carjack another vehicle - the driver resisted and was shot twice.  He then broke into another vehicle, when he was confronted:

At that point, Tumwater police said, an armed civilian confronted the shooter, drawing his handgun, firing and killing the gunman. That same armed civilian then administered medical aid to the carjacking victim until help arrived.

Where was Pastor George?  He was the civilian who took out the shooter!  The Tribune reported that:

He is also an Oakville volunteer firefighter and EMT who happens to be licensed to carry a concealed firearm and is specifically trained to use it against a desperate gun-wielding criminal. A credentialed firing-range safety officer, George said he had received active-shooter training.

The pastor did not publicly reveal himself as the hero in the story until four days later.  He said in a statement, "I was sure it was gunshots I heard...and I was familiar with how I should respond, while considering mine and the public's safety in the setting of this large store."  He was cognizant of his family's safety, as well as those in the store.  The pastor also stated: "I acted on Sunday to protect my family and others from the gunman and his display of deadly intent," adding, "This is in accordance with both my training as an emergency responder and calling as a pastor, husband, father and grandfather."

The pastor's prayer that morning was about involvement, and he asked the Lord to enable him and the men in attendance that Father's Day to not just be content "to just let life go by, to see the world around us burn."  This is consistent with a concept I like to share about being ready and responsive - we can be sensitive as God opens opportunities.  It may not be an opportunity to save a life; fortunately, Pastor George had the training and knowledge to be able to intervene here.  But, our responsiveness could result in someone coming into a divine encounter, including the possibility of coming to a saving knowledge of Christ.  Who knows what God has in store - but He desires for us to walk in that state of willingness for the Spirit to move through us.

No doubt, the world does seem to be burning right now, and we can consider how we can inject the light of Christ by our obedience.  On his website, columnist Erick Erickson stated:

For those who thought James Hodgkinson, who attempted a mass assassination of Republican members of Congress, was an anomaly, it looks more and more like Hodgkinson was a starting point to something violent. "Democratic" socialists stormed a restaurant in Washington to disrupt dinner until the Secretary of Homeland Security fled. Hollywood celebrities have encouraged the kidnapping and raping of the President's child and his press secretary's child. Government employees who work for Homeland Security have seen their home addresses put on the internet and, in some cases, pictures of their family displayed by activists intent on harming them.

This was written before Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave a Virginia restaurant because of her affiliation with the Trump administration; by the way, Sanders responded, as you might expect, with grace and courtesy and did not provoke a confrontation.   And, by the way, her incident is very dissimilar to the Jack Phillips-Masterpiece Cakeshop situation.  This was also written before a leading member of Congress called for more such intimidation - with regard to Cabinet members.  I caught a bit of the MSNBC re-broadcast of Meet the Press yesterday, when Erickson was blaming the decline of religion in America for the increase in incivility.

So, into this world that is burning with fiery rhetoric and the potential for violent conflict, we can consider how we as believers can infuse our culture with grace.  That doesn't call for backing off the truth, but we can set a different tone.