What was your first reaction to the Orlando shootings?

Like all of you, I woke up yesterday to the horrifying news that 49 people had been shot and killed in an Orlando nightclub and another 53 wounded at the hands of a single gunman.

It’s sad how accustomed our world and country has become to receiving terrible news of this magnitude. It seems like every month, we hear stories of mass-shootings, car bombings that kill dozens, suicide bombers killing innocent children, and so on. It’s never easy to hear the news of these tragedies but it’s becoming a whole lot less surprising with each act of horror.

What I’m about to share with you is intended for Christ followers. If you don’t identify as a Christian, I hope that you can still understand and appreciate what I’m going to say.

I’d like to start by saying that I’m not some ideologist who believes love will rid the world of hate and injustice. No, we live in a fallen world where evil exists and pain, hardship, sorrow and suffering are very real. No matter how much we try to spread love around the world, evil will exist. We rejoice in the fact that that will not always be the case however- we know how the story plays out and we know that it ends in victory with Jesus.

So back to yesterday- there’s something that’s really been bothering me. As I was following the story on Twitter and on TV, I noticed that this mass shooting quickly became a political battleground. Within minutes, those on the left were pointing out the need for gun control and those on the right were pointing out the need to target Radical Islam. As the two sides dug into their respective positions, the insults started to fly at one another. It made me sick to my stomach to read the hateful and abusive language being levied towards those of a differing opinion just hours after a mass murder. I can’t say I’m surprised, but it’s truly sick to me to think about how this tragedy, spurred by hate, resulted in even more hate within the country the tragedy took place. It’s just another example of our fallen world I guess.

Don’t get me wrong, no matter where you stand on the issues, gun control and Radical Islam need to be discussed. That’s the beauty of our great country. We should discuss these difficult issues and we have a right to voice and form our own opinions. That’s how laws are proposed and passed and that’s the backbone of our great country. But as Christians, should that be our first response after devastation?

So what should we do first as Christians? Paul calls us to be like Jesus and empathize- Romans 12:15- “Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.” If we are to follow Jesus, we are to be compassionate and we are to empathize with those who are hurting. There are numerous examples in the New Testament of Jesus showing compassion to the poor, broken-hearted, sick, blind, etc. Our first job as Christians is to be broken-hearted with those victims and families in Orlando. We are to mourn as they mourn and love them with a Christ-like love. This isn’t a suggestion or a “feel-good” philosophy I’ve thought up. It’s a non-negotiable from God if you wish to be a Christian. If we are to follow Christ, we are to empathize.

Again, I know this may seem idealistic and unreasonable to some of you, but that’s what Jesus calls us to do. We can debate and reform later. As for right now, let’s mourn and love those who are hurting. As Christians, let’s be a light in a dark world.

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