Our team

"Daddy - how many on our team died - and how many from their team?"

How do you explain terror and carnage to a 5 year old boy. How do you even start to talk?

First we shut down the sports metaphor.

We are all on one team. Every man who died is a terrible tragedy. It means another family without a Daddy, Uncle or Brother. Every lady who died means more people without a Mummy, Auntie or Sister. This is not a game, Enoch. Its a very very sad thing that has happened. There are no scores.

"Why are they doing these things?"

How heart-breaking for me to have to discuss the brutal savage slaughter that our city has seen in the last 2 days. But talk we must - because if we don't he will hear it further from a hundred other lips. Our sin-stained world yearns for a day of true justice and mercy.

I don't know Enoch. But I do know that what is happening is very bad, and very very sad. We must continue to pray for all the people there.

Which we have been doing. In small groups - at JSK - in twos and threes - at last night's Bible study - prayers are going up. People are on their knees. We are praying for the peace of the city. We are asking God's mercy and justice to rule. We are asking God's blessings on our authorities. We are seeking forgiveness for our 'enemies' (who we don't even 'know'). We are praying for healing and hope for the families of the victims - and wounded - and for the horribly traumatised survivors.

In our Bible study last night we looked at Saul the king. A man of such talent and potential - and yet one who allowed envy, jealousy, self-glorification to take such a bitter hold of him - that he became a vicious murderer. He had no care about making his daughters widows - but only wanted to get rid of David - the man who had brought Saul his greatest victory. The transformation of a man of God - into one possesed and hurling spears at David could not be more stark. Examining the tragic of Saul - in the back-drop of what we understand seem to be very young men who came to carry out the brutal mass murders in our city - shows once again how evil the human heart can become.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Gal. 5.19-23