We have already won this battle
I love the song “God’s Family.”
The chorus goes:
And sometimes we laugh together
Sometimes we cry
Sometimes we share together
Heartaches and sighs
Sometimes we dream together
Of how it will be
When we all get to heaven, God’s family.
On Dec. 29, brothers — black and white — died, and the body of Christ cried together and came together.
Community members light candles Monday night during a vigil outside the West Freeway Church of Christ building in White Settlement, Texas.
During the most sacred moment at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas — the taking of the Lord’s Supper — a shooter stood and opened fire. He killed two members before the leader of the congregation’s security team shot him.
I’ll admit, when I heard about what had happened, optimism almost died in me. A knot grew in my stomach, as I watched a video of the shooting. I felt helpless. But in the hours and days that followed, the church came together. Hope was not lost.
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters,” 1 John 3:16 says.
Richard White, 67, and Anton “Tony” Wallace, 64, both laid down their lives for their brothers and sisters that day.
Now more than ever we must boldly come together, stick together and stand together as the body of Christ.
We live in a world where people will deceive. We see it every day. But this is not God’s way. Now more than ever we must boldly come together, stick together and stand together as the body of Christ.
We need to talk to each other. We must hold each other. We must pray for each other like never before. We must have the courage to leave our comfort zones and engage with people. We must spend time with brothers and sisters from all walks of life.
We are children of the Most High God, and our God is still the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We have already won this battle.
And though some go before us
We’ll all meet again
Just inside that city
As we enter in.
There’ll be no more parting
With Jesus we’ll be
Together forever, God’s family.
Praise God that our brothers who lost their lives that day have gained the greatest reward.
HAMIL R. HARRIS is a Christian Chronicle correspondent and veteran journalist. He preaches for the Glenarden Church of Christ in Maryland.
