— by Neil Thielke, December 18, 2012
Where was God?
People have cried out against God concerning the Newtown event, asking “Where is God in all this?”
In each of the shootings listed below there were Christians in and around the event. One way God is present is that he lives vicariously through his followers. The events of this world-gone-bad resemble an auto junk yard. It was created good in Eden. Like new vehicles when they came off the assembly line, the beauty was stunning. But we blew it. Railing against God will not make it better. Never has. Each of the shooters in the massacres listed below was railing against God and the situations they found themselves in. Into that junk yard came Jesus. He calls his followers to bring life into a place that often does not make sense. Christians like Maximillian Kolbe in Auswitch, Mother Teresa in India, and Corrie ten Boom in Ravensbrook show that the light shines even brighter in the dark. They discovered first hand that God is more present where he is worshiped and has not been locked out.
There is a huge difference between what is called “Christian” and who really is a Christian. The mainstream media is so far from God that for the most part they can’t define or recognize it. While church definitions often differ, the Bible defines Christians as those belonging to Jesus and following him. It is not our job to ever judge by calling a person a non-Christian, but it is our job to tell people how they can give their lives to Jesus, and to demonstrate by words and by example what following Jesus really means. In each massacre story below there were Christians bringing life from God into the story in the middle of the junk yard of life. That is our calling.
1) Paducah, Kentucky
Victim Jessica James, a 17-year-old senior, played flute in the school band, was a member of the Agape Club, a Christian fellowship group, and attended Kevil Baptist Church.
Victim Kayce Steger, a 15-year-old sophomore, played clarinet in the school band, played on the softball team, and was a member of the Agape Club. She was an honor student, worked at Subway, and attended 12th Street Baptist Church
Victim Nicole Hadley, a 14-year-old freshman, played in the school band and on the freshman basketball team. She was a member of the Heartland Baptist Worship Center and the Heartland Baptist Youth Group.
(from National Academy Press web site)
2) Newtown, Connecticut
It appears that Victoria Soto hid students in a bathroom or closet and died trying to protect them from alleged shooter Adam Lanza, according to several news reports. The young educator lived with her parents, her sisters, and a brother in Stratford, Conn. in a modest Cape Cod-style house. She was single, spent time worshipping at the Lordship Community Church in Stratford.
(from Huffington Post web site, December 16, 2012)
-
Columbine, Colorado
CRAIG SCOTT: She (his sister, Rachel) had a boy that was with her outside the school eating lunch. From his account, they shot from a distance, hitting Rachel three times. They knew Rachel. They had a class with her. They knew she was a Christian, and they began to mock her for her faith saying, ‘You still believe in God now?’ and things like that. She said she did, and they said, ‘Go be with him!’ Then she took a fatal shot through her temple.
GORDON ROBERTSON: One of the bullets actually went through a journal she had. There is a bullet hole in it. She had that journal with her. In the journal was a prayer for one of the boys who killed her. What was she praying for?
(from Christian Book web site)
CRAIG SCOTT: Rachel had a mission in Columbine, and that was to reach out to the unreached.