Address to the South Sound Church of Christ
Regarding the Atlanta Spa Shootings
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.”
(Micah 6.8)
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
(1 Timothy 2.4)
As many of you may already be aware of, on March 16th, 2021, eight people, six of them of Asian descent, were senselessly murdered in a shooting at a spa in Atlanta, GA. A few days later a suspect was named and arrested in this horrific incident. This act of violence came as our nation faces a dramatic increase in crimes against people of Asian descent. As such, an extra amount of attention has been given to this case, as many believe it falls in line with the recent increase of violence plaguing the Asian community.
We, the community of Christ, are deeply saddened by this and all senseless and hateful acts and we mourn the loss of life of all of the victims and their families and loved ones.
Also, earlier this week 10 people were killed in Boulder Colorado including a police officer who was the first responder to the scene. Most of the victims were ordinary Coloradans going about their daily lives -- picking up groceries, waiting in line for a coronavirus vaccine. They ranged from 20 to 65 years old.
As a Church, we are feeling a host of emotions. That is not a bad thing. As people who identify with Jesus we must not run from pain, our Lord has a habit of entering into the suffering of those who are grieving. It is his way. He comforts us so that we may comfort one another. And that comfort refuses to remain confined to our community. Rather, it flows out from the Church to the hurting world. That is God’s way.
We are not left without recourse here. The Scriptures offer us a way dealing with trauma and loss: prayer. Specifically, lament. We can, and must, bring our emotions before God in prayer. And we must do it together.
The staff and elders of the South Sound Church of Christ want you all to know that we acknowledge the pain, anger, confusion and deep sorrow you may have in response to everything associated with these events. We may not all understand the ways in which others are processing these events, however we would ask for the following from our members:
Pray for our church to experience God’s comfort.
Pray that the brothers and sisters in our world wide fellowship might experience the comfort of our Lord.
Pray for the loved ones of the victims.
Pray for the suspects and their families.
Pray for the law enforcement officials and others who are investigating these crimes and that justice will be served.
Pray for the suspects.
As hard as this may be for some, pray that God will give the suspects a spirit of godly sorrow, that they may acknowledge their actions and repent before God.
In hard times Israel turned to God in prayer. They believed that they were in covenant with the only one who could do anything about their pain. They frequently cried: How long, O LORD (Psalm 79). And Jesus taught his followers to pray: Thy kingdom come, thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). With this in mind, we want to turn to God in prayer.
Tonight we draw near to each other and remember that Jesus is Lord of all things and that he is the author and perfecter of our faith. While the world is in turmoil, remember we have a Lord and savior we can turn to in all situations who will guide us through the darkest of times. Remember that we serve a powerful God who hears and answers our prayers.
Sincerely,
South Sound Church of Christ Staff & Elders
