When I heard the news about the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 27 children and a gunman dead (at the time of most recent reports), I was on my way to a Christianity Today staff Christmas luncheon. I didn’t feel quite right celebrating at such a time as this until I heard Christianity Today magazine’s former editor in chief, David Neff, give a brief message to us.
“Love is Christ’s weapon against sin, death, and darkness,” he said. Citing C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, he went on to say: “God’s love is a sort of trickery against the forces of darkness, and is strong enough to reverse death.”
The simple, yet profound truth of Christ’s innocent death and the assurance of his proceeding resurrection gave me a renewed sense of hope for the victims and their families in Connecticut, and even for the shooter and his family. Jesus died for us even when we were his enemies-Romans 5:8 says so:
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
So as I read reports of death, hear stories of parents who have lost their little ones, and think of the desperation that must have encompassed the shooter on his mission into that school this morning, I am reminded: evil is very much in charge of the world (2 Corinthians 4:4). This tragedy was assurance and encouragement that I, a firm believer in the truth of Jesus Christ and the power of his resurrection, should continue to bring Christ’s light to the world as best I know how. I will continue to put on the armor of God and fight for all that is right and true-as a journalist, I take that to mean spreading the good news of the hope we have in Jesus, and continue to pray at all times, in all occasions (Ephesians 6:18).
Today, this means I will be praying in the name of the children we lost this morning; in the name of the shooter who was captive to the forces of darkness in his actions, and for the peace and comfort of the mourning families who lost loved ones this morning. Won’t you join me?
See the original post on Today’s Christian Woman here.