The Wrong Way

This story popped up when I went to check my e-mail this morning and it just breaks my heart. Abortion breaks my heart to begin with. But twisting the testament of God's will for his people breaks my heart even more.

I know it isn't the first time that someone has said that they were doing God's work by killing someone who performs abortions. But where do they get the idea that this is what God wants? The shooter is no different than any other terrorist, killing people they don't agree with.

I'm not saying that I agree with abortion. In fact, that is the one thing that I agree with the shooter on. Abortion is killing babies. It is wrong. But it is not my place, or any other person's place to execute "God's judgement." (Luke 6:36-37 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge and you will not be judged, do not condemn and you will not be condemned, pardon and you will be pardoned.)

It is my job to spread God's love and his Word. (John 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation.")

Didn't God give each person free will so that they could come to Him out of their own choice to follow Him or not? Did Jesus ever advocate harming another person? Or did He instead love everyone and ask them to love others?

I'm not saying that we should let sin go unaddressed. Jesus certainly didn't. But he did confront others in love, not in hate, and His are the footsteps we are to follow. The Bible gives us examples of how to confront sin in love. One is by Jesus, Himself.

John 8 tells us of the woman caught in adultery by the scribes and Pharisees. The law of Moses commanded that she be stoned, but when the scribes and Pharisees brought her to Jesus he said "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone." (v 7) When they all left without stoning her, Jesus told her "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more." (v11)

We are all sinners (Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.) So if we condemn and hate every sinner, we must also hate ourselves and condemn ourselves or be hypocrites. We must confront the sin in love, hating the sin but not the sinner. Show the LOVE that God has for all his creation. Show the love that God IS. (1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and everyone who loves in born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. Romans 13: 9-10 ...if there is any other commandment it is summed up in this saying, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor, love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.")

In doing so, perhaps the sinner will be brought to the feet of Jesus. But killing the sinner is not love. And now that doctor, who might someday have been led to the Truth through love, will never have that chance. What a heavy burden to bear, knowing that one's direct action prevented another person from ever having the chance to turn to Jesus.

I sincerely pray that this man, the shooter, will come to realize the TRUTH, and to truly love and follow Jesus. I pray that others do not follow his false doctrine. And I pray that those he has injured are able to show him the mercy and forgiveness that he was unable to find for others. Perhaps then he will come to know the TRUTH.