11 Dec, 2007
Colorado Church Gunman Had Grudge Against Christian Group, Cops Say
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The gunman believed to have killed four people in a pair of shooting sprees at a megachurch in Colorado Springs and a missionary training school near Denver had been thrown out of the missionary school a few years ago and had been sending it hate mail, police said in court papers Monday.
The gunman was identified as Matthew Murray, 24, who was home-schooled in what a friend said was a deeply religious Christian household. Murray's father is a neurologist and a leading multiple-sclerosis researcher.
Five people — including Murray — were killed, and five others wounded Sunday in the two eruptions of violence 12 hours and 65 miles apart. Police said Monday that forensic evidence found at both crime scenes linked both shootings to Murray.
The first attack took place at Youth With a Mission, a training center for missionaries in the Denver suburb of Arvada; the other occurred at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, where Murray was shot by a security guard, though investigators said he may have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
"Through both investigations it has been determined that most likely the suspect in both shootings are one in the same," police said in court papers.
Colorado Springs police said the "common denominator in both locations" was Youth With a Mission. The training center maintains an office at the 10,000-member New Life Church.
"It appears that the suspect had been kicked out of the program three years prior and during the past few weeks had sent different forms of hate mail to the program and-or its director," police said.
In a statement, the training center said health problems kept Murray from finishing the program. It did not elaborate. Murray did not complete the lecture phase or a field assignment as part of a 12-week program, Youth With a Mission said.
Police gave no immediate details on the hate mail. And the training center said that Murray left in 2002 — five years ago, not three — and that no one there can recall any visits or other communication from him since then.
photo & story courtesy foxnews.com, 12/10/07
A grudge can be very dangerous
Matthew 5:38-39 (CEV)
Retaliation
38You know that you have been taught, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." 39But I tell you not to try to get even with a person who has done something to you. When someone slaps your right cheek, turn and let that person slap your other cheek.
After reading part of God's Story scripture today, what do you think Jesus is teaching us about revenge?
Let's be honest. When someone "does us wrong", or we think that someone has treated us unfairly, our first inclination is to get even. This is a practical example of our wanting to give in to the pull of our old sinful nature. Often, we'll do or say something that is stupid, immature and sinful in response. We try to excuse our behavior by thinking or saying, "I was just doing to him/her what he/she did to me."
But Jesus has a different way for us to respond. Our desire should not be to get even but to get loving! "Turning the other cheek" is not natural. We can do this only when we allow the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit in us to control us. The result will be the strength to love, forgive, and serve those who hurt us. We can be Christ-like to them, regardless of how they feel or act toward us.
Today's story about the young man shooting innocent people at those churches in Colorado is hard to understand. But think about this - the killer's hate mail and murders started with a grudge...and he wanted to get even.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Talk to God right now. Confess any actions or attitude of revenge that you have done or had toward someone else. Thank God for His forgiveness through Christ's death on the cross. Ask Jesus to empower you to not get even with others, but instead be loving and forgiving to them.
- Memorize today's scripture to remind yourself how to be like Jesus in one of the most common challenges we face almost every day.
- Whenever you hear more about the hate-filled shootings in Colorado, let Jesus remind you to evaluate whether or not you are following his teaching about getting even in your relationships at school, at home and at your job.
How can you connect today's story, God's Story scripture and your story to others?
- Pray every morning for Jesus to help you get to loving rather than getting even.
- If you need to forgive someone, do it today. If someone needs your forgiveness, give it today.
- Look for those moments when you can be an example and an encouragement to others to not take revenge. It may not be a popular move on your part, but it may open up some conversations which give you the opportunity to learn the stories of others and share part of your story.
- Pray for God to bring comfort to the families and friends of the victims in all of the recent shootings. Pray that the truth of Christ's love will somehow be seen in these horrible examples of our human sinfulness.
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