This morning, I removed myself from two Facebook causes which I truly believe in — all due to the hate and obscenities being expressed in the public forums. The sad thing is that many of those responsible for such boorish behavior claim to be Christians.

This afternoon, news broke of the murder of Dr. George Tiller in Kansas. As one of the few American medical doctors still performing late-term abortions, Dr. Tiller was no stranger to hate. His clinic was bombed in 1985, and he was shot outside his clinic in 1993. This morning, while passing out worship bulletins at his church, he was shot to death. Make no mistake: I am very pro-life. The kinds of abortions performed by Tiller are a most violent death. And I believe that like all of us, Tiller will have to give an account for his actions. Do I have serious questions about Tiller’s own spiritual condition and the tolerance of his church? Absolutely. But his death does not avenge the thousands of deaths caused through the years at his hands.

My major issue tonight is that I fully expect the man who was arrested for Tiller’s murder to be portrayed by our nation’s mainstream media as a conservative Christian. And that would likely be, at best, a mischaracterization.

I consider myself to be very well-informed in matters related to religion and politics — particularly as they impact marriage and family life. And I am no stranger to my elected officials.

However, Scripture clearly teaches that people will know we are Christians by our love.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35, ESV)

As I have days like today, watching supposed Christians live their lives in ways that are anything but Christlike, I have to shake my head and wonder how we’re doing with that benchmark.

Even when I disagree with people, I do my best to be honest but respectful, passionate but civil, and loving not hateful. For every hateful word and vitriolic action of a person who claims to be a Christian, the pressure mounts for all Christians to even more strongly demonstrate the love of Christ.

And so tonight I grieve for the Tiller family. Any loss is difficult; sudden and violent losses are even moreso. I grieve for the pro-life community, because today’s incident has earned them collectively yet another black mark. I grieve always for women who believe abortion to be the best available option. Having counseled many women and families who have suffered incredible emotional and psychological distress due to that terrible choice, I understand more than most the depth of pain and invisible scars that never heal.

But perhaps more than anything else, tonight I grieve for those ‘Christians’ who just don’t get it. . . those who don’t understand that two wrongs will never make a right, that we must not repay evil with evil, and that our lives as believers will always be under a microscope.

I do not advocate Christians being pacifists. I believe we are to stand for what is right — but to do so through the proper channels that God has made available to us through our system of government. And when we stand for those values, we can expect to find dissent and conflict with the prevailing culture.

Jesus told us that the world will hate us, because it hated Him first. (John 15:18-16:4) That should not be surprising at all. But God is love, and in Him is no darkness. (1 John 1:5) Yes, our nation’s biggest problem is a spiritual one. And it can only be resolved when those who identify as Christians begin passionately pursuing lives characterized by personal holiness, godly obedience, and lasting love.

Every time we choose to hate people rather than love people, we do serious harm to the cause of Christ — who God sent into this world to demonstrate His own amazing love for them! May we take special care to hate sin but love sinners — and to start by hating our own sin first. Only then will we experience the kind of repentance that is a hallmark of a growing disciple.

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13:13)

I again found myself horrified and saddened to learn of the shooting at First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois yesterday. In front of some 150 people in attendance at the church’s 8:15 a.m. service, a lone gunman fatally shot the church’s pastor of 22 years.

My wife and I have friends in that congregation. They are numb, shocked, grief-stricken, and devastated. Yet their faith remains strong. As Christians we know that God’s specialty is turning bad situations into opportunities to bring glory to Himself. Jesus tells us in Scripture, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b, ESV)

Already in the hours since this seemingly senseless attack, church members, reporters, and everyday people have sought to do just that: make some sense out of what happened. From all accounts, the gunman suffered from some form of mental illness — and if he survives his own self-inflicted wounds, the new quandry will be the age-old issue of justice and what that looks like under these circumstances.

As I watched Good Morning America today and listened to the church’s Children’s Minister, I was heartened by the faith of the people — who in a time of unthinkable tragedy and trial — will turn to God and to each other for comfort, for guidance, for healing, and for re-focusing on those things that are most important in life.

I believe with all my heart that Pastor Fred Winters is worshipping now as never before, in the very presence of the Lord. Join me in praying for his family, his church, and his community as they pick up the pieces of life — moment by moment.

Pray that in the face of this tragedy believers would shine even more brightly — and glorify the Father in heaven.

I was sitting in a conference session out of town when the news came to me. At that point, sources were reporting 16 people confirmed dead. Who could know that number would double?

Violence has a way of shaking us up, getting our attention, and making us think about the things that are most important in life. Today on the VT campus there will be many solemn remembrances of the day that brought the close-knit community to its knees. In the months that have passed since the bloody rampage, students have experienced the full gamut of emotions, from shock and numbness to anger to grief to hope.

In many ways, what was intended for evil has produced much good. Students have come together in a strengthened bond of unity. It’s funny how crisis does that to people. Countless schools and businesses across the nation have evaluated and strengthened their own security plans and strategies. And a large number of people have been reminded of the reality of the brevity of life.

There has been much speculation and discussion in the past year about where to place the blame for the shootings. Everyone seems to have an opinion about that. I believe the responsibility lies not with campus officials, innocent students, or even the mental health community. The responsibility lies with the gunman himself. . . a true coward whose name deserves no mention. . . an individual who carefully planned and executed his attack with special regard for creating legacy-building publicity for himself. We have no need to remember his evil heart.

These are the faces that deserve our remembrance today. And their families and friends are the ones who need our prayers.

Perhaps Henry Ford said it best:

Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and griefs which we endure help us in our marching onward.

May today be a day to look back. . . and march on.

On Wednesday, a lone gunman opened fire on unsuspecting customers and employees at an upscale department store at Westroads Mall in Omaha, NE, in an apparently premeditated violent attack on human life. Nine people were killed, including the gunman, who took his own life.

Then today, in two separate incidents in Colorado, violence visited a Christian missionary training center and a church, leaving at least four people dead.

Both these incidents struck a chord with me. During college and seminary, I worked at department stores, in the customer service area, where the most significant bloodbath took place. I now serve on the ministry staff of a church and am reminded today that there really are no safe places to escape the dangers of an increasingly violent culture. Anyone can become a victim — anytime, anywhere.

There has been much speculation already this week about whether increased security at shopping malls would head off the violence. My personal belief is that increased security is not the answer. People who would commit these heinous acts will no doubt find a venue for their rage. Additional security measures would, in my opinion, only serve to further erode the freedoms we enjoy in America.

Another news story this week caught my attention, as media outlets reported on two Penn State students who attended a private Halloween party several weeks ago, dressed as the victims of the Virginia Tech shooting on April 16. These people may be just as emotionally disturbed as the gunman they seek to glorify.

While we must be vigilant in our daily activities, we must not allow fear to consume us. Violence is unfortunately a fact of our society. It can trigger anxiety, panic, and paranoia — particularly for those who have been traumatized by its effects.

If you need help coping with such issues, I encourage you to seek out a counselor who is trained in dealing with anxiety and critical incident stress management, including posttraumatic stress disorder.

Here are a few tips to help you deal effectively with fear and anxiety:

• Write out your feelings.
• Make a family safety plan to give you peace of mind in the event of a crisis situation. Designate a meeting place.
• Focus on positives. With so much violence and negativity in the news, keep a running list of blessings for which you are grateful.
• Take a course in personal safety.
• Teach your children about stranger danger.
• Minimize the amount of news that you and your family are exposed to. Don’t listen to newsradio when your kids are in the car.
• Be aware of your possible desensitivity to violent behavior.

Scary things will happen. That’s a fact. Have a plan to respond in a healthy way. Be pro-active rather than reactive.

Don’t let the violence paralyze you and rob you of your right to a joyful and productive life – at Christmastime or anytime.