Families of Charleston church shooting reveal true Christianity, Forgiveness in the midst of personal tragedy, ISIS and watered down feel good or phony “Christians” take note, God works in mysterious ways

Families of Charleston church shooting reveal true Christianity, Forgiveness in the midst of personal tragedy, ISIS and watered down feel good or phony “Christians” take note, God works in mysterious ways

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”…Jesus, John 8:32

“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”…First Corinthians 1:25

The family members and church family members of the Charleston, SC church shooting have done more to reveal the true meaning of Christianity in a few days than most folks ever do.

Their family members and friends have been killed and yet they immediately forgave the assassin.

I am not sure I could do so that quickly.

What a message to this country and the world.

God bless them and may their healing be complete.

From CNN June 19, 2015.

“Dylann Roof heard words of forgiveness from families of some of the nine people he’s accused of killing.”

“Wearing a striped inmate jumpsuit, the 21-year-old appeared Friday afternoon by video feed at a bond hearing in Charleston, South Carolina. He stood motionless while listening to the anguished words of relatives of victims he gunned down Wednesday night at a Bible study at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

“I will never be able to hold her again, but I forgive you,” a daughter of Ethel Lance said. “And have mercy on your soul. You hurt me. You hurt a lot of people but God forgives you, and I forgive you.”

Felicia Sanders — mother of victim Tywanza Sanders and a survivor of the church shooting herself — said that “every fiber in my body hurts, and I will never be the same.”

“As we said in the Bible study, we enjoyed you,” she said of Roof. “But may God have mercy on you.””

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/19/us/charleston-church-shooting-main/

From ABC News June 20, 2015.

“Relatives of the nine people shot down during a Bible study session inside their historic black church confronted the 21-year-old suspect Friday during his initial hearing. They described their pain and anger, but also spoke of love.

“I forgive you, my family forgives you,” said Anthony Thompson, whose relative Myra Thompson was killed. “We would like you to take this opportunity to repent. … Do that and you’ll be better off than you are right now.””

“The families are determined not to respond in kind, said Alana Simmons, who lost her grandfather, the Rev. Daniel Simmons.

“Although my grandfather and the other victims died at the hands of hate, this is proof — everyone’s plea for your soul is proof they lived in love and their legacies will live in love, so hate won’t win,” she said. “And I just want to thank the court for making sure that hate doesn’t win.””

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/gunman-feared-blacks-taking-world-31881849

To ISIS and the world.

This is Christianity.