King Solomon in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes said this: "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." Among the times and seasons that he spoke of is the particularly appropriate statement that there is "a time to mourn."
I awoke early this morning and was greeted by a notification on my cell phone that alerted me about the horrific shooting in Las Vegas on Sunday, October 1. I read several articles and then tuned into the news channels to watch some of the media coverage of the tragedy. As I watched, I wept. I thought of all the families that today are mourning the loss of a loved one; a son, a daughter, a sister, a brother, a grandson, a granddaughter. I thought about the dedicated police officers, fire department personnel, first responders and good Samaritans who tended to the wounded. And I prayed.
In the aftermath of this horrible event, there are nearly sixty people who lost their lives, and hundreds who were wounded and injured. The long and tedious investigation of the shooter has been launched and there are many more unanswered questions than answered ones. What do we do? How do we respond to such a terrible event?
It seems to me that Solomon's words are particularly appropriate for a time like this. It is a time to mourn. When we mourn, we call on our God who is the only one who can bring peace to a tumultuous world. He is the only one who can ease the pain and touch our hearts with true supernatural love. He is the only one who can dry every tear and give us an eternal hope.
This is a time to mourn, a time to pray, a time to come together, and a time to rely on God, the author and perfecter of our faith. It is not a time to cast judgement. It is not a time to politicize the event and make a case for your particular political viewpoint. Our nation belongs to God and he is the one who can heal us. If we can stop arguing long enough to come together under this truth, we can see our nation begin the process of healing. This happens under the guidance of the Holy Spirit who delivers God's love and peace to our hearts.
Let's take one day, just one day to mourn, to pray for the hurting people who have lost loved ones. Let's pray for our nation, our government, our president, our police officers, fire personnel, and our military. Let's thank God for the freedom that we have. This is a time of mourning, a time for repentance, and a time to cry out for God's help.
It is a time for mourning. The time for dancing is just ahead. Let every race, every creed, and every political persuasion come together. Let us speak God's blessing over America.
