IT TAKES a powerfully wicked mind to enter a place of innocence, see goodness on display and then set about cutting a swath through it.
This holds true whether the place is a school housing children unable to legally form the intent to do harm, or a place of genuine God-fearing worship. It is sickening that one would sit among a people, hear their earnest beseeching of the Creator for good to prevail, and slaughter them nonetheless because of some misdirected anger at an entire race.
The perceived idea of wrongdoing in this case did not stem from a direct attack on the offender, but from what he believed to be one on his people. Well, if that were the case, I daresay slavery would be a mighty reason for exacting revenge, but that is not the case and neither should it be.
The fatal shooting of nine people in an attack at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina, has been labelled a hate crime committed at the hands of Dylan Roof, a 21-year-old white man with a grudge.
There are longstanding feuds between countries, races and families where the source has been so obscure that newer and weaker excuses had to be invented to carry on the conflict, all for the sake of tradition. It is the same for some simple-minded people.
The Wednesday night services/activities are attended by typically devoted Christians. It is not the usual crowd found on a Sunday morning where the motives of some in the throng may be questionable.
The weekday worshippers are very devoted to the cause and, away from the dazzle associated with Sunday morning worship, set about their tasks. Theirs is a purposeful living and they are sought out for spiritual guidance.
It is unlikely that the term hypocrites would be used to describe this bunch and finding young people among them is rare.
These are the ones who family members and friends turn to in times of distress, in times of need and in times of wanting answers. The weekday worshippers, maybe unlike others, can be depended on and, having lived and experienced a lot, they are supremely placed to be advisors, counsellors and to intercede. They are admired and held in high regard for their unshakeable faith.
If someone were to hazard a guess on how these people would die, it would be in a church because of their dedication.
Inspiring reaction
Therefore, when authorities eventually held the suspect at a time when tempers were running high in the state, it was inspiring to hear the reaction of the families of the deceased. It was one of forgiveness.
It would have been acceptable, under the circumstances, for some angry words to flow but that was not the case. In each instance, when the relatives were given a chance to speak at the bond hearing, they offered forgiveness.
That could not have been an easy path to take, even as Christians, for here it was that these nine were truly the innocent and, from all accounts, good people. This really falls into the realm of the mystery of God.
But how good it was to hear words of forgiveness at a time when a more negative emotion could have prevailed. As an offender, we feel better if our targets respond with anger. It gives us something to feed on and maybe we feel good at having provoked such a reaction.
It confuses us when we get the wind knocked out our sail by an unexpected act of kindness to our mean-spiritedness. It is not always good to practise “an eye for an eye”. It works sometimes and other times not so much.
We do not always get a chance to choose the way we depart this earth and we often wonder what will be said about us. However, the fact that the Christians’ deaths were able to evoke this kind of response from their relatives is one of the great testimonies to what type of lives they lived.
That ultimately should be our goal.
Antoinette Connell is a News Editor. Email antoinetteconnell@nationnews.com
