Thoughts

Most everyone has heard of the recent shooting of late-term abortion provider Dr. Tiller. What makes it even more sensational is that the killing of Dr. Tiller took place as he was serving as usher at his church. This has really caused a lot of thought for me, as I listen to the reactions to this. I think there are a lot of pro-life supporters that are shocked that Dr. Tiller even went to church. But when you pause to think about it, the man who murdered Dr. Tiller probably went to church also, or at least thought he was doing the will of God. I think this should cause everyone, especially those who claim the name Christian, to think about how it is possible, so very easy even, to claim to be a follower of Christ or to be involved in church activities without really holding to the teachings of Christ. There are a lot of reasons this happens. For some, church is a ritual or habit that does not lead to or contribute to a personal, living, growing, intimate relationship with God. Or sometimes, actually a lot of the time though not always in extreme or obvious ways, people like to decide for themselves what God wants and then try to back it up any way they can even if it means ignoring what God flat-out reveals in scripture. I think what I am trying to say here is that I am often guilty of the same mistakes both Dr. Tiller and his murderer have made, and even though my mistakes have not directly taken another person's life, they have resulted in sin. And God hates all sin equally. Anyway, all this sensational news story has done is remind me how important it is to truly seek God and incorporate love in all my actions.