I'm pretty sure at one point today, you have heard something on the radio...
I felt compelled to write to my pastor on this issue.
Dear Pastor Paul,
I'm sure you've heard about it as well, but as we
were driving home from church. The radio announced of a recent story occurring
today where a Maryville pastor was shot at 8am during his sermon.
This is very disturbing news and sometimes it
makes people wonder: "Wow, not even church is safe anymore."
I know upon hearing this news is already implied,
but I'm sure many have a prayer request to look out for those at that church as
well as the suspect.
In a Yahoo News article about this, another
pastor at the church explained that he was puzzled and had no idea what the
suspect's motives were. What motivates a man to shoot another, especially
the pastor while giving a sermon, during church? As I
wonder perplexed, here's the article I read: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090309/ap_on_re_us/church_shooting
God Bless
I can only sympathize.
My mind, today and tomorrow, will be on this sad incident.
Oh, the motives of man...
-lilxerica
Posts
4 comments:
Wow that's really sad to hear=[. I have the same question as you though, and I'd be interested to hear a response your pastor gives.
But I think there are so many different ways to try to answer the question about the motives of man, philosophically or psychologically, but I don't think we'll ever get a clear cut answer.
I don't know if man is necessarily evil, I just think people get sucked into evil thinking at times, and it's a slippery slope from there.
It is really sad and hard to take in though that someone could plan and then execute such a thing out.
Hmm, I like that slippery slope idea. One of my friends told me the other day about a story of where he was walking home and somehow landed in a spot where the snow had become ice. Tricky is the spot, because wherever he stepped, he got closer and closer to an ice covered pond beneath him (don't trust those ponds... see beauty & the beast for support). There was a point in which he felt helplessness, but eventually a random person walked by and helped him out by pulling him over back to his path home. I really hope those in dark times can do the same--not in a sense of waiting hopelessly, but with patience versus ravage impulse.
Here's my pastor's response since you were curious!
Erica,
Thanks for your email and prayers. I heard about the shooting late last night. As for a motive for the shooting, maybe we'll hear about that in the next few days. But my assumption in all such cases is that the shooter is extremely mentally ill, probably schizophrenic, not thinking straight at all. Such random acts of violence can occur anywhere, anytime, to anyone - whether in church or school or home or place of business. It is true that church is not a safe place because, I'm afraid, no place is "safe." I see that as one of our motivations for making sure that we are right with God - we never know when God might call us home. It could be suddenly through a car accident or even through a crazy person putting a bullet through our head.
Say a prayer for the shooter. Back in the 70s, a hopelessly mentally ill schizophrenic in New York city, David Berkowitz, killed 5 people. He was receiving instructions from his dog (!) to commit the murders. When he was arrested, an interviewing officer said it only took 10 minutes for the rage he felt against Berkowitz to turn to pity because he was so obviously ill. Now, amazingly, Berkowitz (serving a life sentence) has become a devout Christian and a model prisoner, and his illness is under control through medication and the Lord's healing. Praise God.
So, if the guy who killed the pastor yesterday comes to Christ, some day he and the minister he murdered can rejoice together in heaven!
From a minister's perspective, knowing that we all have die someday, I can't imagine a better time to go home than during (or right after) preaching a sermon. A former chaplain at Wheaton College collapsed and died after preaching a sermon in which he referred to the majesty of appearing before King Jesus. Better to go that way than years later, aged and crippled with dementia in a nursing home!
We should all pray for the people of the church - I'm sure it is very traumatic to see a pastor murdered in front of your eyes.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Paul
Thanks for posting it, sorry it took so long to respond. That's really interesting way to look at it. Did any reason ever come out for why it happened? I wouldn't be surprised if it was something psychological...
Hmm, haven't heard of a motive yet, but if the suspect pleads not guilty-- yeah, he's most likely nuts.
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