At ten a.m. today, the old church bells of First Baptist pealed, the same time as many bells from one hundred and seventy-five miles south were ringing. They symbolized healing, faith, and oneness.
What an awful thing this week, right in my own backyard. A pathetic, deranged young man showed up at a Wednesday night church service in Charleston and killed nine people who had welcomed him and shown kindness. Incredibly heartbreaking.
But what has happened since has been wonderful, especially for this day and time.
Unlike other recent bad events around the US, this congregation and others followed the Biblical playbook and showed an amazing amount of grace, forgiveness, mercy and love. Though they must be grief stricken, they banded together and did not let the actions of one crazed, hate filled mortal incite them to rage against the world. As one parishioner answered as to their response of forgiveness that perplexed some, "If you knew our daddy (God), you would know."
They overcame evil with good and by doing so have set a shining example.
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