AURORA, Colo. (BP) -- Less than a mile separates the movie theater in
suburban Denver where 12 people were killed and Mississippi Avenue
Baptist Church.
Aurora pastor Mitch Hamilton told the
congregation Sunday that the bulletins for the service would not be of
much use -- they were printed Thursday and then "everything changed"
just after midnight.
While none of Mississippi Avenue's members
were among the victims, four were in an adjacent theater and escaped
unharmed despite bullets flying through the walls. Nevertheless, trauma
permeates the suburban Denver community after the slaying of 12 people
by a lone gunman, who also left 58 wounded.
A tearful 6-year-old girl came into Hamilton's office with her mother and asked, "Pastor, why did my cousin die?"
Often
visibly emotional during his sermon, Hamilton assured the congregation
that even though their normalcy has been shattered, Christians can
answer the question of "How do I take a step forward?"
Hamilton
urged church members to do so resting in God's presence and His promise
to never leave them and trusting in the person of Jesus Christ.
While
the church has offered public prayer services and counseling since the
tragedy, Hamilton sees Mississippi Avenue members as being a key facet
of reaching out to the hurting.
"We are equipping our members,"
the pastor said, "to share with our community that God is real, that He
loves them desperately and that He will walk this road with them if they
will only turn to Him."
As is often the case after a significant
loss of life, Hamilton has been asked, "Where was God in all this?" His
answer, quite simply, is that "God is here."
"He is with each
one walking this road and He offers His presence to any who will call
upon Him," Hamilton said. "He was with the injured and the medical teams
as they sought to preserve life. He was with the first responders as
they responded to the call to save lives."
READ MORE
No comments:
Post a Comment