Slideshow image

As believers, we tend to spend more time focusing on the bright side of life than the dark side.  After all, who wants to focus on death, and sorrow and sadness when, through the gift of salvation, we have the promise of eternal joy with God the Father?  Yet, here we are, in a world full of death, sorrow, sadness, and unspeakable evil; and in the words of the theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

Yesterday, our world witnessed unspeakable evil as 19 children were ripped from their parent's arms; in total 23 people lost their lives yesterday.  We live in a world full of death, sorrow, sadness, and unspeakable evil.  As believers all across the world struggle with questions surrounding incidents such as this one I would like to direct your attention back to Bonhoeffer and postulate an idea.  Often times the most important words that we can utter in the face of tragedy will never be heard by another human being.  I do not disagree with Bonhoeffer's statement; we must speak out against evil, yet, the first audience that we speak to must always be an audience of One. 

I ask you not to speak out on social media, do not take a platform and preach to anyone, and hold your tongue while in a crowd until you have first spent time with the Father.  Psalm 25:4-5 "Show me Your ways, Lord, teach me Your paths.  Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long."  I know that I have no right to speak about the pain that 40 parents are feeling today, I have no advice to give them, there is no quip or quote that will mend their broken hearts.  So, rather than speaking out publicly, I will pray.  I do not have the wisdom needed to speak on solutions to the problem of violence in our schools.  So, rather than taking to the soapbox, I will pray.  Until I hear the voice of Jesus and His command to speak, I will continue to pray.  

It is only after sincere, meaningful, and revelatory prayer that I will choose to speak publicly about such things.  I encourage you to do the same; please pray first.  Pray for the broken hearts of mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, grandparents, friends, teachers, coaches, pastors, neighbors, and the entire city of Uvalde.  Pray for school faculty, city officials, police officers, paramedics, doctors, and nurses.  Pray for personal wisdom in the way that we speak in the future, that our words would be in agreement with scripture (Eph 4:15 Speak the truth in love).  Pray that the local church would be the hands and feet of Jesus to a community that so badly needs comfort that can only be found in the Prince of Peace.  Pray for surviving students as they struggle with thoughts and emotions that no elementary school student should ever have to consider.  

As you consider what your role is in this tragedy and the tragedies to come, please speak first to the Father.  He is our source of wisdom, compassion, and love.  Any words that we have to say that have not first come from Him are not ready for the world to hear.  Be the voice of Jesus in this broken world, His is the only one that we need.