Loving Charleston

All that seems to be on the news lately are stories about destruction of communities and the lives of people within them, with the most recent being the story of the shooting that took the lives of nine church-goers in Charleston, South Carolina.  The world we live in is one full of evil.  However, I struggle with many of the responses to these tragedies.  While the crimes committed are absolutely full of hate, many of the responses are full of the same.  I feel that all I see in response is people pointing fingers at one another, debating where the crimes originated from, who did what to whom, what the overall trends are around the country, how we are spiraling into a world of destruction, and so on and so on.  While I 100% believe that these issues should be addressed to make progress as a society, I question whether in the immediate days following such tragedy should be so full of this.  All of the debate leads to absolute chaos, primarily on the internet, full of people then pointing fingers at not only those involved in the crime, but also "friends" and "followers" with differing opinions.

While the rest of the country appears to be dividing in political opinions and hate, Charleston appears to be uniting in loss, but more importantly...in love.  The words of forgiveness and hope spoken from the families of the victims reflect the God we serve.  In a time when they could choose to show hatred and anger, they are extending forgiveness and love, because they recognize that hate will not win.  Ever.  To me, this demonstrates what I fail to see in many Christians...peace.  We often talk about how God holds the future and because of this we should have absolute peace.  Why don't we then live like that?  I hear so often Christians say this and turn around and freak out over how the world is headed into such destruction and corruption and how horrific it is and so on and so on.  God has it.  Yes, this world is so very full of evil...so full.  But instead of worrying about the world that God holds in His hands, why don't we focus on extending love and forgiveness to that world.  The world is so messed up because there is a lack of love--God's love.  Yet I have hope, because there are people like those in Charleston that are living a life of love, knowing that God holds yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  His plans are greater than anything we can dream.  So instead of debating and becoming hateful over opinions about Charleston, or any other crime that raises it's head, let us do what those in Charleston are doing--let us love.  Let us pray.  Let us do what Marcus Stanley did in his comment on Dylann Roof's Facebook--let us share the forgiveness and hope of Jesus...with everyone.  Let us love like that--loving everyone, no matter who they are, what they look like, what they have done, or where they have been.  For, as Charleston is showing us, love--God's love--will always triumph.  Always.