Pittsburgh Shooting: What do we do now?

I love the city that God has called me to live in.  I love the excitement of the sports teams.  I love the feel of our downtown and the feel of a great fall day. However, Pittsburgh would not be Pittsburgh if it were not for the people.  I love the people of Pittsburgh!  These are the people that God has called me to love and to minister to. When October 27^th 2018 ticked its last second, it left us broken, confused and hurting. Eleven people who called Pittsburgh their home were taken from this place, not by choice, but by a cowardly hate crime.What do we do now?  How are we supposed to process this?   It is at these times that we must turn to God for answers.  We can question His love or wonder why He did not step in and stop it?  We can question his sovereignty, for if He is in charge then why did He allow this to happen?  Why do we turn to a God that just “sits in the heavens and watches these tragedies take place”?

Stop right there! He didn’t! We have to remember that God did step in and make a way. God didn’t just “sit in the heavens”. No, He sent His Son to defeat evil 2,000 years ago. Now, we have a way to live in harmony with Him forever. If anything, these tragedies should remind us of our credible, loving God who made a way for evil to be defeated in our lives. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way that sin will be defeated in this world at this time!  So, church let us be the church!

We love all humans, for they were made in the image of God.  There is not one race that is better or a nationality that is lesser than another. God formed every human being in their mother’s womb and none were created less of a person.  Jew, Gentile, Black, White or Brown, God created them in His image.  So, we love and share the hope of the Gospel!

Our world loves to say that there are sides and our world says that you must choose what side you will stand on. We are Gospel people. We don’t need to pick a temporal side for what we ultimately care about is the eternal side and we go on mission sharing the truth of how one can be a  part of God’s eternal destiny!

As the Church, let us be the church this week. Love like Christ loved. Serve like Christ served. Don’t look at skin or nationality, we look at the heart and share the only truth that can change the heart: The Gospel! We are Gospel people, let us go on mission this week!