[In writing a pastoral prayer for my sermon, this was the introduction I originally wrote. I knew it was too much for a church service, but I thought I’d post it here.]
A few weeks ago there was an incident in our community resulting in a Findlay police officer firing his gun in response to being shot at by a male who attended our local high school. Video footage of the police body cameras were released yesterday at a press conference by the police department.
The whole situation is tragic. James — Jesus’s younger brother — teaches us, “To be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” (James 1:19) Yet we live in a culture that does the exact opposite — we’re slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to get angry. We lack any resemblance of patience these days — we don’t have time for investigations to take place. And local journalists seem to have forgotten the difference between reporting facts and their conjecture. None of this leads to unity in our community — and that’s what a community needs when tragedy occurs.
Some of you know that — in what feels like another lifetime — I served in a job where a rifle was part of the uniform. So — don’t freak out with what I’m about to say next — I’m not anti-gun. But — adults — lock up your firearms. Not just from toddlers — but — if we’ve learned anything over the past few weeks of sermons — it’s how sin has corrupted our entire being. We may call it “kids being kids” — and think “of course kids do dumb things” — I’m not saying that I disagree or that I didn’t do dumb things myself — but there’s no fine line when it comes to kids being kids and firearms. Be an adult. Protect your kid from “being a kid.” And lock up the alcohol while I’m on a tangent.
We’ve got a family in our community grieving the death of their son. We’ve got a high school grieving the death of a student. We’ve got a police force grieving the death of the same individual. No officer wants to fire their gun at anyone — especially a kid. But when being shot at — the officer who still doesn’t want to fire at a kid — will do so to protect others. And they will live with it for the rest of their life. And for all of you Monday morning quarterback, backseat driving, referees who think they’d have made a better decision — what you perceive to be the right decision — and I know you’re an expert at Call to Duty and all — but go enlist. And then we can talk.
[If you’re interested, here’s the prayer that I prayed during the sermon.]
Before we get to the sermon, I want to pause and pray for our community. For our friends in Bucyrus — who may be unaware — a few weeks ago there was an incident at a local park in our community resulting in a Findlay police officer firing his gun in response to being shot at by a student who attended our local high school. Video footage of the police body cameras were released a few days ago at a press conference by the police department.
The whole situation is tragic. James — Jesus’s younger brother — teaches us, “To be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” (James 1:19) Yet we live in a culture that does the exact opposite — we’re slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to get angry. And it’s during tragic events — like these — when God’s people need to obey his Word. If you ever wonder why you don’t hear an immediate response from me or the church — with regards to situations like this — it’s not that we won’t say something — we’re practicing the command to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
Now — we better pray — or this will turn into a mini-sermon. Let’s pray — because our community needs prayer.
Father of heaven, we’ve got a family in our community grieving the death of their son. We’ve got a high school grieving the death of a student. We’ve got a police force grieving the death of the same individual. And — it’s in moments like these — that we need you. May your power, your goodness, and your glory rise above this tragedy and may our community look to you for peace in the midst of uncertainty.
Holy Spirit — no officer wants to fire their gun at anyone — especially a kid. And no parent wants to be given news that it was their child. Both families find themselves in this dark valley of the shadow of death — as do friends, teachers, co-workers, and others who know them. May this tragedy — this dark moment — be the backdrop of a brilliant display of your hope-giving light — may hope shine in and through our community.
And — Jesus — may you weed out lies and half truths that our enemy will use to divide our community. Give us all supernatural discernment. Give us ears that are quick to listen — mouths that are slow to speak — and hearts that are slow to get angry. And we pray all of this in your name. Amen.