The following article is by the Rev. Dr. Steve Cordle, lead pastor of Crossroads Church in Oakdale, Pennsylvania (near Pittsburgh), in response to the recent tragic events in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. It is reprinted here with his permission, for which we are grateful.
Dear Crossroads Church family,
It’s been a rough week in our country. Many have heavy hearts following the two mass murders in Texas and Dayton.
Mass shootings are a massive and complex problem. I don’t have all the answers, but I believe that the Lord is calling us, His Church, to be on the front lines of the solution.
Jesus told us, “You are the salt of the earth….You are the light of world.” (Matthew 5:13-14)
Whenever there is evil and expression of the kingdom of darkness, God calls us to demonstrate the opposite corresponding Kingdom value. In this case, we know that hatred, fear and despair feed these shootings. We, as Jesus’ people, are called to demonstrate love, peace, and hope.
The church is to be an alternative community, living out the Kingdom of God. In the face of racial tension, we model the multi-ethnic community that is in heaven. When politics and economics divide people in the world, the Church demonstrates the Kingdom community that is based on common faith in Jesus.
Wherever Satan stirs up destruction, we combat it by modeling heaven’s reality.
Today it is not enough to avoid being part of the problem. Let’s renew our commitment to be a Kingdom force for positive influence. For example, make sure our social media posts promote Jesus’ agenda of love, joy, and peace. Will others feel understood and supported by what we write and say to our friends? Let’s actively reach out to befriend those of other races, opinions, and economic brackets. Let’s not seek to advance the philosophy of any political party, but rather advance the will of our Heavenly Father. “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
What difference will that make? Obviously, our one post won’t stop all violence. But every time we hold up a candle, some of the darkness flees.
Marked by grace,
Pastor Steve
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