In the aftermath of Saturday night’s terrorist attack in Orlando, preachers all over America are going to be preparing messages that have something to do with tragedy striking in ways that are devastating, unexpected, and that find us totally unprepared. That’s predictable, and not inappropriate. Jesus warned His disciples about such things in response to their concerns about the promised second coming. His comment sounded pretty much like common sense. He said,

“But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:42-44 NKJV).

We were unprepared. The victims were unprepared for the terrorizing realization of what was taking place, and the rest of us were unprepared for hearing the news. All they could do when the bullets started flying was to react as best they could. Most of us were unprepared as well, and all we could do in reaction to the news was to stare at our screens and feel the shock. My hope is that we will not allow ourselves to be frozen into inactivity, and that we will not engage in knee-jerk, spontaneous, panic driven decisions individually nor support them nationally. May God help every one of us to be better prepared in the days ahead, both to deal with these kinds of attacks themselves, and with the media circus that follows them.

Prayer – Action Item ‘#1’ – What happened in Orlando last night was nothing less than a horrific bloodbath. Political implications in the aftermath of an episode like this are unavoidable, and will need to be addressed, but to transform this attack into little more than a springboard for political grandstanding on either side right now is nearly as heartless as the actions of the terrorist himself. There have already been countless ‘calls to action’ in response to the attack, but may I respectfully suggest that for those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus, if prayer isn’t the first action item we’re called to, then I have little confidence that any of the others will be very productive either.

May God comfort the multitudes who are mourning over their losses right now, and may God bring profound conviction to the hearts of those remaining Islamic terrorists who are rejoicing in response to the same event. May we all pray together that the Church of Jesus Christ will rise up and resume its position of moral leadership in America instead of cowering in a state of ‘offense anxiety paralysis’. And may God grant this nation something in the days ahead that we do not have now. May November introduce into this land, leaders in the upper echelons of power with integrity and courage, who have at least some modicum of wisdom, and who have the guts and fortitude to do what wisdom dictates.
Meanwhile, let’s try to be courageous voices of reason in response to the stampede by the left to blame it all on the guns (again). That kind of insanity is as disgusting to me as the event was horrible. Isis will have no trouble ensuring that their people have all the weapons they need, regardless of Obama’s or Hillary’s dictates and declarations about our 2nd Amendment rights.

Every homicidal and/or suicidal maniac who plans one of these murderous attacks picks a place where they know their intended victims are almost certainly going to be unarmed and unprepared to respond in any way other than to try to run away. The liberal leadership in this country pushes for a populace equipped to do nothing else when threats emerge. Liberal colleges and universities, in concert with mainstream media and entertainment are turning millions of our young people into arrogant moral reprobates armed with nothing but their empty socialist rhetoric, their anti-god attitudes, their endless confusion about who and what they are, and, of course, their many lists. They have lists of rights, lists of demands, an extensive list of reasons they shouldn’t have to pay for anything, and a veritably endless list of things they find offensive. But don’t bother looking among their lists for a list of solutions that will really work for any of the problems plaguing our nation. The current administration has spent the past 7 1/2 years teaching Americans little more than how to become a more inviting target. Now the push to make us targets with no possibility of retaliation will be kicked into overdrive. May God help us to push back.

© 2016 Gallagher’s Pen, Ronald L. Gallagher, Ed.S.  All rights reserved.

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