Regarding the Shooting

My reflections on the assassination attempt

On Saturday former President Trump, the Republican nominee for this years election was within one inch of being killed by an assassin’s bullet.

If he hadn’t turned his head at the exact moment he did, that bullet would of ended his life. However you choose to view that, be it Divine intervention or extraordinary luck, it was historic.

Tragically, another attendee was murdered and two others were seriously wounded. It could of been even more horrific if the shooter hadn’t been killed by authorities.

Today everyone personally connected to this event has had their lives completely turned upside down by this manifestation of human and demonic evil.

Hell sets fires. 🔥

This is the ultimate orgin of all our problems according to the book of James. We have been teaching through this book in our church.

James‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.”

James‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭“In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.”

James‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬ ‭“Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!”

On Sunday I did my duty to remind all of us about these particular truths we have been studying.

James‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬ ‭“If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.”

I called our Church to follow Jesus, obey the Word of God and love and serve our community. This is my primary responsibility as a pastor.

But I’ve realized something after the last two Presidencies, the Covid pandemic and its aftermath: many people don’t want a pastor. They want someone to validate and promote their political, social, moral, and personal opinions or positions.

Even now I’ve witnessed the pressure coming from the various forms of media demanding everyone to conform and confess the sanctioned positions or actions or be anathematized by the political inquisition. I refuse to be pestered, pressured, pummeled or held prisoner to the pontifications of this frantic fever that has spread into every relational circle.

I reject this.

You are free to hold your own opinions, convictions and positions about whatever is the current tragedy or outrage, but I am free to disengage or disregard out of respect for the long game. I’m working for the sanity and sanctity of a healthy and whole life, not the satisfaction of everyone’s convictions, curiosities or concerns.

There’s a malaise and madness afoot and it has infected and fractured far too many people’s minds, hearts and relationships. I’m trying my best to avoid the pull to perform for the circus that’s at work pushing people to fulfill the will of this Machiavellian machine.

Obviously I have my own opinions, positions and convictions that inform my own political views and actions, but I don’t speak for anyone else.

Don’t confuse or contort my voice on public or private platforms for my position behind the pulpit. I try my best to handle accurately the word of God that is self-described as a two-edged sword. That means it cuts both ways folks, right and left feel the bite of its truth.

That’s not an abdication of duty, it’s a sacred responsibility of biblical wisdom, righteousness, justice, mercy and love. Avoiding favoritism and working hard to speak less and listen more is critical in this time. Seeking to live as a peacemaker isn’t a hippy-dippy cop-out, it’s a difficult practice of self-control and respect.

The spiritual discipline of learning to talk more to God than people is an inoculation to the virus that spreads from way too much contact.

If ever there was an embodiment of a multi-headed dragon beast marking head and hands found in the book of Revelation, it’s the 24/7 technological overlords pumping their poison into the mainstream!

For the love of God and the salvation of your own souls, turn it off or down. The human heart and mind wasn’t created to carry the weight and worry of an all-seeing, all-knowing AI dominated reality. You do not have the bandwidth to sustain the load. You don’t have the capacity to carry that concerns and convictions of the world-wide-web. If you’re constricted and caught in it all, cut yourself loose and breathe!

Act on what you can.

Do what you must as far as duty to God, family, church, community and country but abandon the illusion that you can save society, you can’t. The only thing that you can save is your own soul by surrendering it to Jesus. Leave the world to the only Savior: Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

We are not gods, we are mortals, who live but a handful of decades.

Do your small part like reading your Bible, going to work, doing the laundry, helping your neighbor with their projects, pick up your dogs poop, pay your taxes, vote, don’t be a skunk, porcupine or viper, be faithful to your spouse, stop yelling at your kids, go for a walk, eat some fruit and veggies, make love or art, tell someone about Jesus, water your garden, take your meds, tip those actually doing something, confess and repent, sing, say your sorry, go back to church, mow your lawn, show up on time, talk to someone different than you, give some money to something worthy and someone not worthy, lighten up, cry, laugh and quit all the self-loathing, stop self-medicating instead of actually facing your pain and problems, stop porn and binge eating, enjoy a doughnut and write someone a card. Just manage the small stuff, gently, faithfully and calmly.

“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.” -1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭

And…pray for our leaders and the people of our country. May God help us be better people in the days ahead.