Reaction to North Fayette Shooting

I have been on the campus of Robert Morris University for a little over one year. In that time I experienced encountered situations, and events I wasn't ready for. This Wednesday was definitely one of those times. It was mid afternoon, I was at the church, and Pastor Wayne called me downstairs from where I was working in the church. He told me he was headed over to Robert Morris University, and that there was a shooting that occurred off campus. Two RMU students were killed in the shooting, one was in critical condition. The shooter was not an RMU student.

Seeing that is was a Wednesday evening, Chi Alpha was scheduled to occur at the chapel later that night. There was a speaker, Brandon Watkiss, scheduled to speak about the short term mission trip we are taking this spring. I called him to let him know what had occurred. We both agreed to be sensitive and flexible, but that he would still come and speak.

I began to pray.

As God moved upon my heart, I knew what I was supposed to say to the students that came to Chi Alpha. Something strange happened to me on the way to the campus that evening. I was on Beaver Grade Road, and just as I crossed over the Thorn Run Road intersection, this gripping fear came over me. I walked into the chapel and all I knew was i needed to pray, there were two students there, and they dropped what they were doing and prayed with me.

Brandon arrived a little later. He had never been to the campus before. However, when he pulled onto campus drive he described a wave of heaviness that came over him. Something else happened with Brandon that evening. As an evangelist, he speaks all over the place, and usually has the same message everywhere he goes. This evening God had something else in store, and gave Brandon something else to say. Before we did anything that evening, I asked the students to pray, pray for each other, pray for people effected, and pray for this campus. During that time the Lord showed something to Brandon. There was a spiritual collision that occurred on campus.

You see, we see things in the natural, but there are unseen things that occur in the supernatural. Ephesians 6:12 " For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

That evening the God challenged us. Know HIS Love, and Show HIS Love. 1 John 4:7-19 Sepaks of this love, it tells us that we show love, because of His love. Oh ya, and that fear I was feeling, here is what the Word says "true love casts our fear"

So here is the challenge this week, if you have God's love show it o someone this week, be there, listen, comfort, or whatever the love of God compels you to do.