The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5
This is a difficult verse for me to wrap around as I read the headlines regarding the hate crime in Charleston South Carolina. I cry out to the LORD - WHY? God is the antithesis of hate. When hate occurs in this world it is a blasphemy against HIS Spirit. Will the LORD stand up for his children?
The mountains echo confusion in the chambers of a human heart when we evil's darkness penetrates and seeks to defile through the chaos of hate. As the sun rises and falls we are bombarded with stories of evil acts - hate rupturing the cords of society and dividing people against people and hearts against grace. It is easy to trust in God's infinite protection and grace and steadfast love in the noon day sun when the light shines so brightly we feel the full armor of the LORD, in the darkness we cling to the half light of the moon - still the light penetrates the darkness.
We know God calls us through times of trial and suffering to refine our soul - we can survive the testing fire - however what happens when the darkness is so oppressive and violent - insidious that even the most faithful of hearts cry out 'Where are you God?' God promises time and again to protect his flock - so how can a tragedy like the Church Massacre in Charleston's Emanuel African American Episcopal Methodist Church be reconciled in God's grace and loving protection. If God is all mighty why does Our Loving Father seem so silent against the arrows of the night. The arrows of evil that plunder and defile and wreak havoc on the brightest of beacons. Where is God's sword of light when a darkness like a poisoned thief kills the most innocent of people in a house of prayer - How can we reconcile God's goodness and shelter when His own house is attacked?
The victims of the massacre at the Emanuel African American Episcopal Methodist Church were the lights of the world - beacons of hope and strength, perseverance, love and compassion, courage against fear, resounding truth, peace above peace, strongholds of righteousness and mercy. The congregation is active in their community and an integral part of Charleston. The church has a long legacy of faith and determination to pursue love over hate, and fight for life - life in God's eyes is precious - all humanity is equal in God's eyes - every human life is precious - every person can bring glory to God and is formed to bring joy into the hearts of their neighbors and community - the victims of this insidious crime were pure light of love - they walked in God's truth of forging peace and love in a troubled would. They lived by the gospel of LOVE, and stood up even in their last breaths to hate.
*Please donate if you can to help the church via their official website. Also consider sending a sympathy card of LOVE in CHRIST to the congregation. LOVE moves mountains and heals broken hearts. The deceased are with Our Lord - but may their legacy reverberate love on this earthly plain for all the ages!
It is devastating and daunting for a community to be faced with this sort of hate crime, especially as racial tensions stir up and people choose to cling close to fear - trusting in the darkness of fear and division over peace of God's light.
The world is a violent place - sin has contaminated this world - sin puts neighbor against neighbor and is the gospel of hate, not truth but lies and bitterness - anger and race. The biggest threat to our the world and particularly America right now is the gospel of hate. Hate is a poison that devours. Hate's mission is to divided and destroy and to raise men up in the armor of pride's destruction, greed and a cruel thirst to blood. Hate is a sin that infests entire communities and works to prey on people when they are their most vulnerable. Hate as the devil's tool seeks to destroy peace and there is no destruction of peace that seethes of pure evil's destruction than going and killing unarmed innocent people of God in prayer - particularly when the congregation opened their hearts and God's house to a man filled with hate. The congregation chose love over fear. Love is from God.
The devil, yes - this is part of his play. That being said - it would be an insult to the victims to merely say the killer was 'possessed by evil' - The killer made a choice to go against every grain of light flooding into his soul - he made a pact of pure evil when he made the decision to kill - not just to kill but to massacre innocent people - without cause - HE had an entire hour almost of hearing God's goodness and being confronted with the choice to do the right thing and accept even a scintilla of light to lay his armor down - and instead he chose evil. I wrote a blog a few months back on how free will and our responsibility of choice is so vital in the world. Choice is something we must strive to work towards with the heart of the spirit. When we choose evil over even the simplest and basic of moral good - we let ourselves die - the only one accountable in the end is the killer. I won't say his name here - because my concern is for the victims. They are SAINTS. I truly believe God has lifted them up - so while their lives were lost in this mortal realm - God has not forsaken His people. Now God calls us to a big choice - the choice of how we handle the wake of evil and destruction - by revenge or justice - and justice must be neutral and healing must come from love.
Hate wants war. Hate wants division. Hate likes to dismantle love through fear and oppression, persecution and racism. Hate breeds anger and lust. Hate lurks in the darkness and attacks the purest light because light is pure and radiates with such a fire of resilience the light of love is impenetrable by the dark - Hate only takes hold when we let go of love and the power of GRACE and service and give up - so many think hate is just a factor in the world. They don't like hate but they would rather not get involved in standing up against it - they fear they too will be lost in the fires of hate.
We cannot afford not to stand up against hate. United with stand, divided we fall. Christ teaches us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Who is our neighbor? Our neighbor is all of humanity. God is pure love - his universal order was built on love - the chaos of the darkness is an agent to keep us away from that love. God is love. The devil likes to destroy peace by rupturing the bonds of community and love - a community can only be as strong as all its parts. A tragedy can build up or tear down a community. When evil like this occurs the flesh wants to be angry and we should - but anger should be waged first in the acts of love. Love of standing up against hate. Love inspiring never to allow this to happen again and to promote healing instead of division, positive change over building up walls.
It disgusts me that this happened, and I mourn for the victims, their families and the entire community of Charleston. My family helped to found Charleston in the 1600s and I love the people and its culture. It is a place that is unique and wonderful because of its diversity and depth of character. The Gullah tradition and African American population is a heartbeat of Charleston - it is a breath of the city. Charleston is known as The Holy City - a place of grace and fortitude. It has seen countless trials and faced internal divisions - from the Revolutionary War to the horrors of The Civil War. In spite of the hate that has tested this city - it always rises up with a spirit of resilience - gracious hope, love of community and a fiery passion to keep the Holy City aflame - peace and humility are the strongest chords I find in the city that though filled with tragedies of histories shadows - Charleston is rooted in hope and fortitude.
To question where is God in this - God was alive in every single one of the congregants attending the Bible Study - He lit the flame of peace and love and mercy and grace and perseverance to overcome the world and its evil in their hearts. God fought for them - in the end evil won a round on the surface, but God always wins the war - hate cannot sustain itself - hate divides - hate demolishes. If we choose to bow down to hate and name-calling and prejudice and fear all is lost - no one will stand. We can only win the war when we transform our hearts with the Gospel of LOVE - a gospel of truth and peace I know surrounded the victims even in the fear of death. God has lifted them up - I know HIS justice is perfect. Each of the victims I trust is in GLORY in heaven as a Martyr of the Church with Christ. For the world first hated Christ, but Christ overcame the world.
Evil can only when if we stay silent. If we stand up in love and come together with acts of love and work to rest in our differences - then we can build a kingdom that is rooted in strong community and pure light. Darkness only wins when we take evil as the status quo. We adapt to evil with apathy and even adopt attitudes of prejudice and division.
Where is God in this - God is in the healing. We live in a sinful world - a world of sin that led God HIMSELF as Christ the Incarnate Word to be persecuted and crucified for preaching the truth of LOVE.
I am filled with anger at the injustice of so many wonderful people's lives lost and angered that God did not save them in the flesh during the massacre - but I also trust the soul of God's divine love and that love always wins. In this temporal realm ruled by the injustice of hate we can submit to evil or we can rise up by the Spirit of LOVE and stand up for the oppressed and stop the violence.
The innocent lives lost did not deserve death - at least in their death let's remember their love - let's come together - fight for a better future where hate does not rule our hearts and seek to divide and destroy. Let's be vigilant with the light of the LOVE they had in their hearts and sow the seeds of their light in this dark world.
As Americans we must not put salt in the wounds of hate that try to divide our diverse country - but rather mend our hearts as one united nation. A nation rooted in the Independent Spirit of the pursuit of happiness, justice, peace and freedom. Freedom to worship is a tantamount founding principle of America. While our country has its scars - we are better together - working in the spirit of independence as a nation - not in the division of hate and selfish individualism that seeks to tear us apart. If we learn one lesson in this painful, horrible and heartbreaking tragedy that never should have taken place - may we turn not what is dark and guard our own hearts in fear and discord - but turn to LOVE and fight for our nation. God is not of the world but even in HIS perfection and universal power he humbled HIMSELF as man to live in the world of sin and triumph over it. Sin only leads to darkness. May the light of love guide us home so we can RISE UP not in rebellion but in unity as one.
Nothing speaks to this more than this statement on the Emanuel African American Episcopal Methodist website:
"Jesus died a passionate death for us, so our love for Him should be as passionate." -Sister Jean German Ortiz
Evil attacks, evil killed God himself as Christ, yet evil does not conquer love. Jesus's light of love overcame the darkness. We too must take all suffering, tragedy - fighting the forces of hate with the unity of love as Christ loved us.
My heart is aflame with hope as I read the stories of Charleston coming together in prayer. Prayer seems so small now - but God is always with us in prayer and prayer also is an act of lifting one another up in LOVE. Love is the Gospel of LIFE. Love is the light that can win the war on darkness. Even in the darkest hours God's light of love is at work and HIS justice will not be forgotten - even if we don't see it in our earthly pilgrimmage. God is at work and we too must work in HIS SPIRIT.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I cannot comprehend how your loving infinite heart can allow men to enact such violence. Where are you? Will you rise up? I know you gave YOURSELF body and soul for justice and peace. You created the universe - yet the world you created hates your light. It would rather fall into the abyss of hate than rest in the peace of your justice and pure truth. Shine your light in our hearts through YOUR Holy Spirit Lord. Grant the victims of senseless hate crimes peace. Invoke humanity to rise up in love instead of hate and work to prevent such hateful crimes from taking place again. God you are pure love and I know the victims rest in the eternal peace of Your care. May we bring the peace of heaven to earth through laying down the sword of hate and taking up the shield of righteousness. Grant us faith in dark passages and the light of your Sacred Heart to penetrate the darkest of evil. For evil only sows evil and revenge never executes justice. Teach us your justice and grant peace to all who cry out to YOUR healing grace. We pray particularly for Charleston and the holy faithful of the Emanuel African American Episcopal Methodist Church that they may be strengthened by the tears of heaven - for you cry tears for all bloodshed and dry the eyes of those who mourn.
Where is God when a tragedy such as the Church Massacre in Charleston's Emanuel African American Episcopal Methodist- HIS glory is in the light of the lives of those who were lost and we carry their light with a hope of love and active change to pierce the darkness with the light of their strength for good.
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