I have been trying to mentally process the news of the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and the report of the independent investigation into alleged sexual abuse within the Southern Baptist Convention. Some may think that these two news stories have nothing to do with each other, but in reality, they are exactly the same. They are both glaring examples of SIN.

First, let’s focus on the mass shooting which resulted in the deaths of nineteen people, most of whom were third, fourth, and fifth grade students. What would compel an eighteen-year-old to walk into an elementary school and open fire on those unsuspecting students and teachers? SIN! I don’t know what it was that triggered the awful, senseless slaughter, but the underlying, foundational cause is that the shooter was devoid of the forgiving grace of God.

But please read the following statement carefully. Anyone who lives by the dictates of his fallen, sinful nature is capable of the most heinous acts of evil. None of us are above committing such horrible actions. It is the grace of God that keeps us from engaging in horrific acts of evil.

Now I realize that some reading this will object strenuously to that assessment. You may be thinking about some family members or friends who are not Christians and yet have never committed anything comparable to this senseless slaughter. But yet it is true. It is the common grace of God at work in the world that compels the vast majority of human beings to live upright, law-abiding lives. But still, those who are devoid of the Spirit of God open themselves up for the spirit of evil to compel them to commit such acts.

The proof of this truth is seen in the other news report. An independent investigation was conducted by Guidepost Solutions into alleged sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention. The following is copied from the website of Gibbs Law Group:

On May 15, 2022, Guidepost Solutions published a disturbing report describing decades of sexual abuse and cover-ups within the Southern Baptist denomination. On May 26, 2022, the Southern Baptist Church (SBC) released a 205–page list of hundreds of alleged abusers, which was compiled by a former employee of the SBC Executive Committee. The list—which spans decades and numerous states—contains details of alleged incidences of assault and abuse, and the names of ministers and other church workers who have been “credibly accused” of perpetrating abuse, as reported by the New York Times. 

Gibbs Law Group web page

We may think of the shooter who took the lives of 19 individuals as being far more horrific than the acts committed by those on the list published by the Southern Baptist Convention, but in reality they are exactly the same: SIN. It is not the point of this blog to delve into the allegations presented in this report. It is, however, the point of making comparison of the root problem of sin. The names listed in the report are pastors and other church staff leaders, some of whom were prominent leaders in the convention, who are alleged to have committed acts of sexual abuse that have caused mental, emotional, physical and spiritual trauma in the lives of the victims.

The common denominator between the Texas shooter and the individuals named in the investigative report: SIN! As I thought about these horrifying stories my mind went back to a day in the classroom at Fruitland Bible College. Dr. Kenneth Ridings, professor of homiletics at the time, walked into the classroom, looked around the room at his students, and stated matter-of-factly, “We are all capable of committing the most awful acts of evil. None of us are above falling to temptation.” He was talking to a classroom full of students preparing for ministry. Each of us had felt the call of God to invest our lives in serving God by serving others. And yet, here was a professor who had, at the time, been in ministry for decades telling us that we were all susceptible to fall into sin.

Some may think it wrong of me to compare a murderer who killed 19 people with pastors and other church staff members. However, the Bible makes it clear beyond any doubt that in the eyes of God sin is sin. I am not diminishing the awful ramifications of 19 families who are now struggling to make sense of the senseless by making this comparison. I am simply making the observation that the lives of those who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of pastors and staff members are carrying around the mental and emotional scars of being victimized.

The underlying principle is sin. And let’s be very clear on the matter. The Bible warns about the seriousness of sin, so acts such as these should not take us by surprise. Some will use these types of horrific displays of human depravity as a reason to reject God. In reality, they should cause us to run to God. He is our only source of help and hope in the face of such evil.

This topic will be continued in my next blog.