"I bet Jesus will be packing heat when he returns."Comment by "Roenoke" on The Roanoke Times website, 3-25-09
When we were in Turkey in July, I learned that the guy standing at the entrance to the church building where we worshipped was not the greeter. He was the armed guard. (see photo) It was predominantly Muslim Turkey where most are very friendly towards Christians, but sadly a few are not.
I once officiated at a wedding in our own church building with a security guard at the door watching out for the bride's scary ex-boyfriend. I was assured the guard wasn't armed - although he probably was.
Today's paper featured a story about violence in church buildings, often during worship. The most well-known is the murder of George Tiller in Wichita last May, but there was also the attack during a children's play in Knoxville last year, not to mention the pastor who was shot in the pulpit in March in Illinois and another pastor who was stabbed to death in Oklahoma earlier this month.
The Washington Post also highlights several shootings or dead bodies found in church parking lots, including one right up the road in Silver Spring, MD.
The world is crazy in so many ways.
In the way we buy and use guns. In the way we can't control our anger. In the way we violently cross boundaries. In the way we do not hold people accountable until it's too late. In the way we fail our children (Do criminal background checks on your paid staff and volunteers, people!) In the way we twist what Scripture says about marriage. In the way we think being Christian means being "nice" even when parishioners yell and scream at staff members. In the way we ignore the mentally ill. In the way we tolerate hate. In the way we don't speak up when people say ignorant things about Muslims, Jews, gay people, women, Blacks, Hispanics, the poor, undocumented workers, Republicans, Democrats, and federal workers.
More than ever, it's important to be the church, even if it's dangerous.
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2 comments:
The times we are experiencing in this country reminds me of where it says in the book of Judges, "In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes." (17:6, 21:25). In this postmodern age, everyone seems to become an authority to themselves, responsible to themselves, not to the law, to each other, or to God.
When I was in the military there was "combat pay" for the times you might go into harms way, just never thought I would need it for the pulpit.
"More than ever, it's important to be the church, even if it's dangerous." Amen.
(I'm thinking our postmodern culture is more interested in reversing the "meism" of Modern culture that has brought us to this dangerous time)
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