(Photo: Reuters/Brian Snyder)

Last week a tragedy occurred in Charleston, SC, where nine beautiful souls were gunned down by a deranged 21-year old.  The shooter tried to incite racial division, chaos, terror and hate.  But evil messed with the wrong town, and the wrong church.  Rather than yield to racial division, they chose unity, with one unified heart. Reverand Norvel Goff Sr. stated in his message Sunday that “the only color the church knows is red; the blood of Jesus.”

Rather than focusing on hate, Charleston chose love because “love is stronger than hate.”  When their hearts should have been filled with malice, the people of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church didn’t wait for an apology; they chose immediate forgiveness. The blood that was spilled in the pews was barely dry when they walked into the courtroom the day of the arraignment, looked evil in the eye and said the words, “I forgive you.”  Personally knowing the cost of living life with hatred, bitterness, and anger, the people of EAME Church in Charleston chose the better way; they chose the narrow gate that leads to life. [Matthew 7:13-14]

And while we don’t know what’s going to happen to the shooter, God is so full of love that even he has a chance for salvation.[Luke 23:34]  We may not be able to understand it, but forgiveness is one of those mysteries that we cannot fully comprehend without Jesus.

God shines His light in the dark places of the world. He shines His light on the hearts of all of us. Many times we see hatred, bitterness, anger, resentment, division; we see the face of pure evil.  God’s light shined brightly when darkness descended upon Charleston and the congregation of EAME Church and the world was astounded by what we saw: Forgiveness, unity, peace, and love.  God takes the most horrific tragedies and turns them into His victory.  Love wins!

What do you want the world to see when God shines His Light on your heart?

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  John 1:5

Papa, I pray we, as a people hold ourselves up to the same high standards as the beautiful people of Charleston and EAME Church so that when God shines His light on us, the world will see forgiveness, unity, peace and love. In Jesus Name ~ Amen.

Peace be with you.

~Julia