A chill went up my spine when I got home from church on Sunday and heard about the shooting at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, just a few miles from where I live. I was stunned because the shooting was taking place at the very time I was preaching at Elmbrook Church on Psalm 46:9: "He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire."

I had said in the message: imagine if today the suicide bomber's detonation device shorted out, all tanks and artillery stopped working, all AK-47's in the world (75 million of them!) suddenly jammed. All M-16's and M-4's turned to dust. In the light of future judgment when God brings all violence to an end, how can we not commit ourselves to being peacemakers in whatever ways we can?

At times like this we ponder (or at least, we should) what Scripture says about violence. Much, of course.

But today I find myself going back to a foundational truth in Genesis 9:6: "Whoever sheds human ...

You have reached the end of this Article Preview

To continue reading, subscribe to Christianity Today magazine. Subscribers have full digital access to CT Pastors articles.

Log InSubscribe

Already a CT subscriber? Log in for full digital access.