Hearing about the disgusting and outrageous tragedy this morning at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, my heart sank, and I began to weep – 50 dead and 53 injured. This mass shooting is the deadliest in United States history.  The shooter has been identified as Omar Mir Seddique Mateen, and officials have identified it as a terrorist attack. Sitting here with my family, listening and watching the reports, I ask: How should Christians respond to this tragedy?

Whereas the Pulse is one of the best-known and more popular gay bars in Orlando, I can’t help but believe the heart of God is hemorrhaging today. I believe He is experiencing visceral pain and a deep aching over the loss of lives in Orlando. The victims were image-bearers, and I am saddened. This shooting is an unspeakable and horrible tragedy that was carried out by a man with a desperately wicked heart. As followers of Jesus, how should we respond?

First, we should acknowledge our hurt, perplexity, and confusion to God. I wish I better understood why a good and all-powerful God allows things like this to happen. I am troubled and cannot find words to describe my heartache. Like David, in Psalm 77:7-9, we can ask character questions of God:

Has the Lord rejected us forever?  
Will he never again be kind to us?  
Is his unfailing love gone forever? 
Have his promises permanently failed?
Has God forgotten how to be gracious?
Has he slammed the door on his compassion?  Psalm 77:7-9

These questions are not questions of unbelief but a desire for explanation in the midst of perplexity. God will not get angry with us or spurn us for asking questions. His shoulders are broad, and he invites us to lament and bring our doubts and confusion to him. He knows this tragedy crushes our hope and leaves our faith staggering like a boxer pummeled by his opponent. So, we might as well cry out to him and tell him about our pain and perplexity. It’s a cathartic and healthy process.

Second, we should grieve, mourn and lament with families who have lost sons and daughters. Just as the Father is grieving and mourning this loss, we should cry over this tragedy. If our hearts are hardened, we should ask the Father to break them and fill them with grace and compassion.  If we have a gay family member, neighbor, or co-worker, we need to sit with them, grieve with them, weep with them, and pray with them. They are hurting and probably fearful, but they are our neighbors, and Jesus has called us to love all our neighbors (Mark 12:31).

Third, we should pray for our Father to sustain the victims’ families, the LGBT community, and the entire city of Orlando (Psalm 55:22). They are brokenhearted. We have an opportunity and responsibility to pray, asking our Father to come near. As we pray, we can be an answer to our prayers by coming near to the gay community. Also, let’s pray for people to respond to the gospel’s good news. These kinds of incidents should move us to ask eternal questions. Let’s pray that people’s hearts will be turned to a loving Father who sent his Son, Jesus, into the world to bring redemption.

Fourth, we should believe that our Father can get the glory and bring good out of this tragic experience. If he can take the ugliness of Jesus’ passion and death on the cross and bring glory to himself and salvation for humanity, then he can take the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history and bring about redemption. I don’t know how and when, but I have decided to fill the gap – between tragedy and redemption – with trust.

Fifth, we should not judge all Muslims by the act of one radical and deranged man. As I have listened and watched the news reports pour in, every genuine Muslim has denounced the actions and any associations with Omar Mir Seddique Mateen. The vast majority of Muslims are peaceful and decry violence. We may not believe the same thing, but we can and should interact with our Muslim neighbors with grace and honor. Not only should we not prejudge Muslims, we should stand against all prejudices – ethnic hatred, racism, terrorism, and extremism of any kind (James 2:1-12).

Sixth, we should check our hearts for anger, pride, self-righteousness and judgmentalism. The heart is evil and desperately wicked. No one can fully know it. Sometimes, I forget how evil sin is – in our world and my life (Mark 7:21-22). Our response to the Holy Spirit revealing evil and sin to us is to repent and submit our lives afresh to the supremacy and preeminence of Jesus.

Seventh, we should reject fear and walk in faith. Though Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIS, there is no evidence to tie him to the radical group. If this is the case, then we have a “lone wolf,” and I believe this is what frightens us most. When fear comes, let’s continue to rehearse these words:

God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Psalm 46:1-3

The post How Should Christians Respond to the Tragedy in Orlando? appeared first on Marvin Williams.

When we say we have an excruciating headache or excruciating pain coursing through our leg or lower back, do we really know what we are saying? I know what we are trying to say (I am not minimizing migraines and other significant pain), but I don’t think we come close to experiencing what the word actually means.

The word excruciating comes from a Latin compound, meaning pain like the pain of the cross or the pain like the pain of crucifixion.

Crucifixion was the most painful torture ever invented for the worst of criminals. It was probably invented by the Persians and perfected by the Romans. The Romans began using crucifixion around the time Jesus was born, and it was a punishment designed to inflict maximum pain and suffering. Crucifixion wasn’t about killing someone; it was about killing someone in the most horrible and painful way possible.

What was Jesus’ crucifixion like?  

• First, Jesus was beaten or flogged. The Roman soldiers used a lead-tipped leather whip, with animals’ bones to flog him. The lead-tipped balls caused deep bruising while the animals’ bones would shred his skin, exposing and cutting nerves and muscles. Jesus lost a considerable amount of blood, and he probably went into a state of shock. Flogging was designed to inflict maximum pain and it was truly excruciating. John 19:1; Matthew 27:26.
• Upon the conclusion of the flogging, which was designed weaken Jesus, the Roman soldiers made the him carry the cross bar outside the city to the place of crucifixion. Crucifixion always happened outside the city because it was so disturbing to citizens. The cross-bar Jesus carried probably weighed between 75-200 pounds. Jesus’ ability to carry the cross was determined by how badly he was flogged. Jesus began carrying his cross to the place where he was crucified, but because he had been beaten so severely and he was so weak, he probably fell flat on his face from the weight of the crossbar. Thus, he needed someone to help him carry the cross. John 19:17; Matthew 27:32-33.
• Next, Jesus was fixed to the cross by nails. Typically, right below the hand, Roman soldiers would drive 7-9 inch spikes through the victim’s wrists (not the palms because the hands could not support the weight of the victim), striking the main nerve running through the arm. Luke 23:33; Matthew 27:35.
• Roman soldiers fixed a charge or crime board to the cross above Jesus’ head. When people passed by, they were able to see what crime he was charged with. The cross bar was raised and then Jesus’ heels were nailed to the upright post, striking two main nerves running through the legs. Luke 23:33; Matthew 27:35, 37; John 19:19.
• Next, crucifixion was intentionally lengthened or dragged out. Jesus’ crucifixion began at 9:00 in the morning, and he was still alive around 3:00 in the afternoon. If the soldiers wanted to speed up the process of death, sometimes, they would break the victims’ legs so they could not lift themselves to exhale. They didn’t break Jesus’ legs because he was already dead. He probably died quicker than most because he was flogged or beaten so severely. Mark 15:25, 33, John 19:34.
• Once on the cross, Jesus’ body weight suspended his arms. In this position, Jesus could not completely exhale. He probably took shallow breaths for a while, but eventually would be forced to push himself up to take a full breath.  Eventually, Jesus was no longer able to raise himself up and he suffocated (Mark 15:37).

So, Jesus, our Leader and Lord, humbled himself in obedience to God, and literally experiencing excruciating pain and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

He was PIERCED for our rebellion, CRUSHED for our sins, he was BEATEN so we could be whole. He was WHIPPED so we could be healed. So, we keep our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he ENDURED THE CROSS , disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

On this Holy and Sorrowful Friday, let’s not simply gloss over… And they crucified Jesus, without giving thought to what those words really mean. When Jesus died, he went through an unimaginable amount of pain and suffering for us. The way he died – by crucifixion – reveals how messed up we really were and how much we needed rescuing. Take the time to reflect on and thank Jesus for enduring excruciating pain to bring us freedom.

Turn Your Minutes into Moments

How does the pain Jesus endured during his crucifixion put your pain into perspective?

What tangible way can you thank Jesus for all he endured for your freedom?

The post Is Your Back Pain and Headache Really Excruciating? appeared first on Marvin Williams.