On one hand I understand this story about churches beginning to hire armed guards to watch over parishioners. With more and more violence being played out against American churches I understand that perceived threat but I have just a couple points to make on this issue.
First, the American church is well behind the rest of the world in the persecution it faces, this is not to minimize the pain and suffering of those who have died in church shootings or other forms of persecution, but to just say that are faith holds a long tradition of suffering and we might need to think about how to embrace this.
Second, our faith teaches us not to trust in man but in God for protection. Now I don't mean that we should be unwise or that someone who installs a security system in their home isn't following God's will, but I just think that this might be a place where we ask God to miraculously show up.
Our faith grows in the blood of martyrs, those who have given their lives for their beliefs, and maybe in America we can lead the rest of the country by showing them we don't trust in weapons to bring security but practice peace and spread love. Our country is war hungry. Billions of dollars are made every year in the business of death. We have completely bought into the idea that the guy with the biggest guns is the most safe and that is first of all wrong thinking and secondly, very un-Biblical.
I'm not saying churches that feel they need to hire armed guards for protection are evil just that maybe there is a better way that is actually aligned with the teachings of the man they have come together to worship.
Article via CNN.
