Thoughts on the Colorado Theater Shooting

Originally, I intended to write about another topic in this posting but with the tragic events Friday morning in Aurora Colorado, I wanted to share some thoughts.  Foremost in my mind is the families of those who lost their lives in the shooting.  Words cannot express my sorrow at their loss and I pray that God will provide the comfort for these families that I cannot provide with my words.  I also pray for those wounded in the shooting and pray that God will give them a speedy and total recovery from their injuries.  

It is human for us to have knee jerk reactions to tragic events such as this but I want to urge everyone to be slow to comment or pass judgment until we have all the facts.  We do know who committed this heinous act and are happy that he is in custody and cannot hurt anyone else.  However, I saw comments today on Twitter that were passing judgment on groups like the Tea Party and gun lovers stating that they were guilty because of their political views and views on the right to own guns.  In Matthew 7:1 and Luke 6:37 Jesus warned us not to judge because as we judge others we too will face judgment.  We are also warned in scripture to be swift to listen but slow to speak and slow to wrath (James 1:19). 

Brian Ross of ABC News is a prime example of what can happen when someone is swift to pass judgment and comment on a tragedy like this.  Before we knew much about the shooter, he was quick to pass judgment on The Tea Party and later had to retract his statement.  This is an embarrassing thing for a news reporter to have to do and tarnishes their credibility. 

However, in our age of social media, instant messaging, texting, and that ancient media of email, we too can suffer embarrassment and loss of credibility by rushing to comment or pass judgment via these methods of communication.  Even if you are not a Christian, I urge everyone to follow the wise advice of scripture and be slow to comment and pass judgment until we have all the facts.  In fact, let’s let the law enforcement officers of Aurora Colorado and our courts sort out the evidence and pass judgment on the shooter in this tragedy. 

Once again, my prayers are with the victims and their families for I believe only God can help someone get through a tragedy like this.  I understand several churches in the Aurora and Denver areas are having prayer vigils this weekend and encourage all who can to attend one of these vigils.  Also, if you or a family member were a victim of this tragedy and you find yourself struggling to deal with your loss, seek professional help or ask the pastor at one of the prayer vigils to assist you.  There is nothing wrong with seeking help at a time like this.