People Killed in my Town

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4.40am, Denver, MDT,

One year ago about this same hour I finished my early morning quiet time and turned on the news.  It said there had been a shooting in Aurora where many had been killed.  I prayed a bad prayer I guess.  “Lord, let this not be my town.”  In a short while I understood it was not Aurora Ill. But Aurora CO.

It has now been a year.  What has happened?  In the immediate aftermath we saw first responders, police, firemen/women and getting the victims to trauma E.R. anyway they could.  We saw that our wonderful regional medical center was prepared for this disaster in a way that became a model for Boston and other cities.  Our doctors and nurses were exemplary.  We saw our police chief become a steady rock for his officers and our town.  We saw our neighbors completely broken hearted and open to new levels of neighborhood friendship.  We attended funerals and visitations and memorial services.  We found out what the heartbeat of Aurora Colorado was all about.  We saw the ministers of all faiths come together to comfort and encourage.

For me personally, I was shocked at how weak I was to help, but how with God’s help a little faith can move mountains in terms of comforting others.  God’s people all over the city responded to hospitals and ERs to join the doctors in helping folks the best we could.  What did the followers of Jesus learn or re-learn?  I’m not sure about others, but for me.

1.       Be gentle with people.  This is a broken world.

2.       Stay focused on discipleship and learning from Jesus when overwhelmed.

3.       Enjoy moments of praise to God and connection with others who love God.

4.       Mustard seed faith in God can move mountains.

5.       Our calling is to encourage people with the good news that God loves them.

6.       Pray. Pray. Pray.

7.       Jesus has all authority.

8.       Believe that what God wants to pour out on us is grace, mercy and peace.

9.       Never limit the power of Jesus Christ to change a city for the better.

10.   Refresh the spirits of those who are walled in with sorrow.

11.   Though Jesus is rejected in normal times in this world, He is welcome in the hospital waiting rooms.

12.   Heaven’s joy is when people return to Jesus and realize that this world is not our home.

13.   When deeply broken remember that God is close to the broken hearted.

Now, my wife and I have moved from Aurora to North Richland Hills Texas to minister in a different town after thirty years.  It is my prayer for those who are ministering in Aurora that God will keep blessing them.  I pray for my neighbors, Tom and Terry in the loss of their son.  I pray for the young people from SE church  who lost a joyful co-worker.  May God’s comfort go to all of them this day.

Larry Wishard

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