On Sunday 5 November 2017 while worshippers gathered at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, a lone gunman Devin Patrick Kelly entered the small church armed with an assault rifle and callously opened fire on the congregants who were aged between five and 72. Of those present, 26 people were killed, including the 14-year-old daughter of the Pastor Frank Pomeroy. In addition to this, 20 other congregants were wounded, and it goes without saying, that this small church will never be the same again.
The 26-year-old perpetrator purchased the Ruger AR556 rifle in April 2016 from an academy in San Antonio Texas. Kelly already had a criminal record for violently shaking his stepchild and had been unfavourably discharged from the US Air Force after being court-marshalled in 2012 for the assault on his spouse and their child. He later served one year in prison and was finally released in 2014.
This criminal record should have resulted in his name being registered and therefore him being subsequently banned from buying or owning any firearms. However, the necessary authorities failed to update their system, which, therefore, enabled Kelly to purchase the weapon used for the cold-blooded murder of the church congregants.
This town is very small, and a tightly knit community, consisting of two gas stations, the church, a community centre, Post Office, a Dollar General and tyre shop.
President Trump responded to this attack calling it an act of evil, but also later stated that ‘guns were not to blame’.
Kelly left his house with an intent to kill. The worshippers left their homes with the intent to worship and return home – many lost their lives in the midst of worship.
Today, we come together to worship and on Remembrance Sunday, to remember those who went to war but lost their lives. There is a war that we enter into where we know our enemy, but there is also a war that we don’t see with our natural eyes. Paul said in Ephesians 6:10-18 to ‘be strong in the Lord…put on the whole armour of God…and always keep on praying’.
‘Until you know that life is war, you cannot know what prayer is for’ ~ John Piper
Let us keep alert, may we remain ready and faithful in prayer and service.
