17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Another instance of political violence has occurred in America.
One could say that the man who was taken out by Secret Service after firing shots at the rally for Donald Trump on Saturday in an assassination attempt that wounded the former President and several others and took the life of a rally attendee was involved in an isolated act of violence.
But, I think you could rightly describe his act as the product of a more coarse, more violent culture. Think about the hundreds of churches and pregnancy resource centers that have been attacked since the leak of a draft opinion in the Dobbs case; the Family Research Council, itself a victim of attempted terrorism, put that report together.
Common threads in this disturbing trend include the evil within a human heart and the lengths to which some will go to establish their point of view, to the extent of silence others. In an age of parents at school board meetings and pro-lifers, and faith groups being characterized as domestic terrorists, the real terror is seemingly coming from another source. The Church is called to love our enemies, not take them out. We have to make sure that our response as the Church is demonstrative of conviction with compassion, not being part of the problem, but presenting solutions Biblically.
Christian leaders shared their perspective in the aftermath of this tragedy. On X, formerly Twitter, Greg Laurie wrote:
America stands at a pivotal crossroads, and now more than ever, we need God, we need the Bible, and we need the redemptive power of Jesus Christ.
Jeff Schreve, responding to a Tweet by Richard Blackaby, wrote on X: "I am grateful that God spared Trump’s life yesterday, but deliverance for America is only found in our repentance toward God and surrender to Jesus Christ." Blackaby had written: "Let's pray fervently that God would send revival sweeping across America and drive out the hate, pride, greed, and unforgiveness from people's hearts."
The Dr. James Dobson Family Institute issued a statement, which said:
Now is the time for Americans to come together and pray for our country's leadership. While we continue to engage in passionate debates and discussions about the issues and candidates in the upcoming election, we must do so in a manner that never forgets we are fellow citizens blessed to steward this amazing land of liberty. Let us pause today to remember the values that unite us as one people under God.
I certainly think it is incumbent on us to pray for Donald Trump. And, Joe Biden as well, and Vice President Kamala Harris and newly announced Vice Presidential nominee, J.D. Vance. Pray for the state of their souls, that they would be directed by Almighty God. As pastor Tom Buck from Lindale, TX tweeted out:
After the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, he said he realized God saved his life and wrote in his diary on March 31, 1981:"Whatever happens now I owe my life to God and will try to serve him in every way I can."Pray that God will lead Donald Trump to this same place.
Even though Trump has benefited from evangelical Christian support and has made faith statements, one could say he or she does not really know the status of his relationship with Christ. According to Newsmax, he posted on Sunday morning:
"Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening," Trump posted on Truth Social. "We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness. Our love goes out to the other victims and their families. We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed.
"In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win. I truly love our Country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin. [prayer emoji] DJT"
Jack Hibbs responded to that post in his Sunday sermon, which was preached at his church, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in California, as he declared on Facebook his message to be a "solemn assembly" and donned a robe in the style of Colonial preachers. He preached without notes and here's part of what he said...https://www.facebook.com/RealJackHibbs/videos/3793851804207276.
It has been pointed out that just a very small variance of the trajectory of the bullet meant the difference between life or death for President Trump. I would certainly hope that this is a spiritual wake-up call for him. But, what about our own souls? We might be essentially a millimeter or centimeter, perhaps a second or a minute from some occurrence that could end our lives. Our paths each day are fraught with danger - physical, certainly, but what about spiritually? Are we using the resources that God gives us - His Word, His presence, His wisdom, in order to navigate the challenges of this world - or are we reliant upon ourselves to our peril? We are not guaranteed tomorrow, so we should be living today with urgency and purpose in Christ.
We can also remember the acts of heroism that occurred in the light of the dreadful events in Butler, PA on Saturday. None more breathtaking than those of Corey Comperatore. He is the man who lost his life, and his daughter, Allyson, wrote these words about him, in a Facebook post that was circulated to thousands:
* He was the best dad a girl could ever ask for.
* He was a man of God, loved Jesus fiercely, and also looked after our church and our members as family.
* He loved his family. He truly loved us enough to take a real bullet for us.
We can also be reminded to allow our trials to teach us.
President Biden gave a short address from the Oval Office last night; The Christian Post related:
Biden cited the purpose of his remarks as to discuss “the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics.” He encouraged the American people to remember that “while we may disagree, we are not enemies, we’re neighbors, we’re friends, coworkers, citizens and most importantly, we are fellow Americans.”
This announcement was made in an interview with Salena Zito of The Washington Examiner, who wrote this:
Trump said people all across the country from different walks of life and different political views have called him, and he noted that he was saved from death because he turned from the crowd to look at a screen showing data he was using in his speech.
“That reality is just setting in,” he said. “I rarely look away from the crowd. Had I not done that in that moment, well, we would not be talking today, would we?”
Talking as he boarded his plane in Bedminster, New Jersey, for Milwaukee, where the Republican National Convention starts Monday and lasts through Thursday, Trump said his speech will meet the moment that history demands. “It is a chance to bring the country together. I was given that chance.”
This is a historical moment for our nation - and for the Church. We have the opportunity to lead and to communicate a message of hope in Jesus Christ. We should never back down in our convictions based on Biblical truth, but we must always make sure that we are excellent ambassadors for our Savior.
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