Heroism | Pastor Zach's Blog

Posts tagged ‘Heroism’

Praying for Las Vegas

Waking up this morning to news of the worst mass shooting in modern American history was jarring. What was supposed to be an evening of fun at an outdoor country music festival at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas melted down into a scene of death and a time of terror when a lone gunman opened fire into the crowd from the 32^nd floor of the hotel above. More than 50 were killed. Hundreds are injured.

This morning, stories of heroism are already emerging. On NBC’s Today, an eyewitness described police officers and military trained personnel standing up during the shooting while everyone else was crouching down, looking for the injured so that they could render immediate aid. These brave souls put their own lives at risk for the sake of those who were in danger of losing theirs.

Certainly, this will be a story that dominates our headlines and, in one way or another, messes with our heads and hearts. It is difficult to fathom how evil could move someone to commit an indiscriminate act of mass murder like this. It is chilling to imagine what it must have been like to be there.

Right now, on this dark morning, there are two things for us, as a people, to do together. First, we should pray. We should pray for the families of loved ones who have lost their lives. We should pray for the medical professionals who, right now, are tending to many who are critically injured in level one trauma centers. We should pray for law enforcement as they seek to unravel what has happened. And we should pray for Las Vegas. Here is yet another community that has been marred and scarred by tragedy.

Second, as a part of our prayers, we should not forget to give thanks. We should not forget to give thanks for the heroes proven in a terrible time of deadly strife. We should not forget to give thanks for those who risked their own lives to place their fingers in the bullet holes of the wounded. We should not forget to give thanks for those who were willing to sacrifice their own lives to save the lives of others.

As a Christian, I know that salvation never comes without sacrifice. This is what makes the message of the cross both awful and wonderful all at the same time. The cross is the place where the Son of God was unjustly murdered. That is awful. But the cross is also the place where I was graciously given life. And that is wonderful – and the reason I have hope.

At the Mandalay Bay, the unthinkably awful happened. But even the unthinkably awful cannot undo, or even outdo, the bravery of the heroes who were willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others. So, for the wounded and grieving I pray. And, for the heroes of this morning I give thanks.

I hope you will join me in doing the same.