Precious blood was spilt in Orlando.
Human life is valuable, beautiful, sacred.
Not because of what we do or even what we can do.
But because of who we are.
Whose we are.
We are made in the image of God. Reflecters of the divine. Offspring of God.
Thus to take human life in hateful anger and violent ideology is to violate the very character of God. It is to profane His name which is stamped upon each one of us.
Even to speak in hatred against those made in the image of God is to malign His design.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. (James 3:9-10)
Though I may have disagreed politically, religiously, or morally with those who died, I share in their humanity. And their death impacts me…and should impact me.
No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
…
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee. (John Donne)
Though sin has impacted us all, damaged us all, distorted the image of God in us all, each human life has purpose and value. There is no unimportant person. No second-rate creation. If value is determined by the cost someone is willing to pay, then human life bears unfathomable worth.
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8)
Evil exists. Sin is real. Death is a harsh reality.
I wish there were words to remove the pain. I wish there were ways to reverse the tragedy. I wish we lived in a world where hatred, division, violence, and death did not exist.
But we are east of Eden and something has gone desperately wrong with our hearts and with our world.
Strip away all the labels, religions, political parties, ethnicities, nationalities, and ideologies and we are humans.
Weak. Limited. Fragile. Mortal.
Falling short. Finding fault. Failing to love.
Thirsty. Hungry. Helpless. Hopeless.
Desparately in need of a Savior.
One Who can redeem the tragedy, transform the heart, conquer the grave.
One Who is one of us but also above us, human and divine, sympathetic and sovereign.
One Who weeps with us and walks with us.
One Who knows us and loves us.
One Who can take the distorted image in us and recreate it in newness of life.
There is only One fits the bill.
And His name is Jesus.
Look to Him. Run to Him. Rest in Him.
His precious blood was spilt for you.