Another Note on Clarity
My conversation on the church for the 21st century will continue but first another thought/comment on clarity (my first posting on this topic). We have recently had a shooting in Kansas where a doctor who performs abortions was shot to death in the vestibule of his church where he was serving as an usher while his wife was in the choir. The shooter is a pro-life professing Christian who has been actively against abortion for many years. Now this is sad moment for the Christian church. The Scriptures warn us about taking brothers in Christ to court. How would Paul feel about one shooting another in the doors of a church?
I realize abortion is a hot topic but it really isn’t an issue in this event. Really? You bet. This is about murder. One man shooting an unarmed man in the doors of a church is murder. What about abortion you might say? I saw an editoral cartoon in our local paper that showed scores of tombstones with “aborted baby” on them and a newspaper about the shooting lying there. The editor seemed to be implying that there is more shock over the death of the doctor than the abortions. I found this to be troubling and dangerous. Crazy gunmen might read these comments and feel justified that the killing of a abortion doctor is somewhat understandable in light of the abortions performed. Now I’m sure the cartoonist wasn’t saying that but care must given because we live in a dangerous world where nuts exist who shoot up schools, churches, and blow up buildings. How is shooting this abortion doctor any different than terrorists knocking down the buildings on 9-11? Those terrorists thought they were doing God’s work and striking against godless sin. So did the shooter in Kansas feel this way I would imagine. It is a ‘holy war.’
What does this have to do with clarity? If you are passionate about the abortion issue murder will not bring any solution and is hypocritical. This is not how believers deal with such issues. To borrow from a popular catch phrase, “WWJ?” Would Jesus shoot him? Did Jesus execute the tax collector, woman caught in adultery, or anyone else? What would Paul say about this issue? Did he shoot the slave owners master when he ran away? Or did he try and work with the two in a conversation and through reason?
Again you ask what does this have to do with clarity? In my blog I wrote about universal clarity. This shooting hurts our witness. We must as a church be clear to the world that this does not speak of the gospel and we deplore this act of murder. We will not be post home addresses of abortion doctors or use threatening words or jokes or anything else. Shouting fire in a movie theater is the same as having a web site posting the address for someone who performs abortions (which has been done). And what next? Do Christian soldiers shoot prostitutes in the street? Do they blow up the houses of drug dealers? Do they lynch CEOs who rob their employers and destroy the environment out of greed? Do they kill crooked politicans? Of course not.
The church gets slammed so much by those looking for evidence that we are crazy, dangerous, or hypocritical. Let’s be clear who we are and who we are not.
So you say, “But I’m against abortion? Don’t I have a voice?” Of course! Have a voice but not a gun. Vote, speak, share, talk, teach, pray, but don’t kill!
That goes for any issue.
Blessings,
Derik
P.S.- Next up COMMUNITY!!!!
I was really angry about the media about this situation because it occurred at roughly the same time when a Muslim extremist killed a US soldier and wounded another in Arkansas. The media’s focus was on the Christian extremist not the Muslim extremist. It was painful to share the name Christian with this crackpot as some of the media portrayed all Christians as dangerous evil fundamentalist crazies.
I guess I was angry because the shoe was on my foot now and the attention was on the Christians. I guess I see now how the average Muslim feel when they are raked across the media coals and demonized. Will those with the fish on their car bumpers now be eyed suspiciously as those with hijabs, turbans, and olive skin?
Ok God, enough lessons in humility!
Blessings back to you!
b
I heard today on NPR what kind of dr. this man was as one of his colleagues described. She said he was compassionate and really cared about women’s health issues. The late term abortions were done when the fetus was not going to live and the mother’s mental and physical state was in question. Sounds like he was a good dr. to me. Plus, he served his church and community as a believer of Christ. I am sorry for his family but I’m also sorry for his killer…there was no compassion in what he did. He took his own life when he took the dr’s. I hope Christians will denounce what he has done so that this will not happen again.