“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
One Sunday afternoon in late winter, I decided to go for a walk to get some fresh air. Several blocks from my home, I passed a small church and happened to notice the billboard. In addition to listing the times of the services, I was drawn to a quote which also appeared. It read: “Christians Never Meet for the Last Time.” I remember considering the powerful thought expressed in that statement, and I began to recall a church massacre that had occurred years before. It was on the evening of June 18, 2015 that a 21-year-old white male entered an historic Black church in Charleston, South Caroline where some of its members gathered for a weekly prayer meeting. He was one of thirteen people in attendance and was seated next to the pastor. Initially listening to others during the service, he reportedly began to disagree when they started to discuss Scripture. After waiting for the other participants to begin praying – he pulled out a gun, began shooting and ended up murdering nine of those present, including the senior pastor. At that time, it was considered to be the deadliest mass shooting at an American place of worship.
The relatives of the victims directed comments to the accused gunman at his first court appearance. One by one, those who chose to speak did not turn to anger. Instead, they offered him forgiveness and said they were praying for his soul, even in the pain of their losses. One grandchild stated, “Although my grandfather and the other victims died at the hands of hate, everyone’s plea for your soul is proof that they lived in love, and their legacies will live in love . . . so hate won’t win.” The irony of the event was that a soon-to-be slayer was welcomed by those he murdered and forgiven by those who would feel their loss. The killer most likely chose the famous church, because he undoubtedly wanted a symbol. Against all his intentions, however, the symbol became different than the one he had intended. While the executioner set out to defile a sacred place, he ended up showing why it was a place of living faith. While he no doubt thought it would be the last time these people would ever meet together, he did not understand that they would meet again in a new location that would become their eternal home.
Jesus put it this way: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:1-3). This promise applies to all believers, even those whose earthly life has been cut short. We need not be concerned for our loved ones or ourselves as to where we will be when we leave this life; that is, if we know and follow the teachings of Jesus. John puts it quite simply: “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12). These divine traits we see from the Emmanuel AME Christians in Charleston – hospitality to the stranger, and then forgiveness to the murderer – are truly incredible examples of following Jesus Christ’s witness of love and mercy. They reflect some of the greatest virtues we are called to live by in our Christian lives. What an amazing example of Paul’s words to “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21), while exceeding dark hatred with a force that is even greater than the greatest evil. That, my friends, is divine love.
In the midst of the horrible event at Charleston, we can also see beauty and goodness from Christians who were able to forgive in the midst of their deep pain and utter sorrow. They were able to ask for God’s mercy and grace to come upon a lost soul. This story is a great example that we can choose what we take away from a tragedy. Will we only see the crazed and forsaken man filled with racism and hatred that led to violence? Or will we see a struggle to respond to hatred with love and violence conquered by mercy? Perhaps it helps to remember those heartfelt words—expressing again and again the lovely sentiment from an old hymn . . . “God be with you till we meet again.”
REFLECTION: Consider hate-filled or otherwise tragic events in your own life experience. Were you quick to reciprocate with anger and blame? How can you position yourself or help others prepare to practice love and forgiveness in the face of similar circumstances when they occur?
A NEW LOOKUP DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., MARCH 9, 2019. COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.