We are gathering a few of the many Christian responses to the terrorist attack in Orlando that has so far claimed the lives of 50 people. We will be adding links throughout the week, so please check back.

Russell Moore
“After Orlando, Can We Still Weep Together?”
RussellMoore.com

“We woke up Sunday morning to news of the worst mass shooting in American history, as a terrorist murdered and injured over a hundred people in a gay nightclub in Orlando. In the aftermath, we’ve seen some of the best aspects of America: people lining up, for example, to give blood for the victims. We’ve also seen some of the worst—as the aftermath turned into an excuse for social media wars over everything from gun control to presidential politics. What I wonder is whether the country still has the capacity to grieve, together, in moments of national crisis.”
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John Stonestreet, interviewed by Chris Brooks
“Orlando: Grief and Grace“
“Equipped with Chris Brooks,” Moody Radio

“You’re not going to get rid of fear unless your feet are anchored into something higher than the cultural moment . . . into that higher truth.”

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Joe Carter
“5 Ways Christians Can Respond to the Orlando Shooting”
The Gospel Coalition

“As the English writer Samuel Johnson once said, people need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed. We probably don’t need to be instructed about how to react. We know what to do. We’ve faced this situation before and will face it again all too soon. We just need to be reminded of our call to muster the courage and respond in a way that brings honor to our Savior.”

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Nabeel Qureshi
“Mourning Orlando, Longing for Truth and Love”
The Gospel Coaltion

“How can we understand this dilemma? How do we not react against all Muslims despite the fact that Islam has always taught such violence? My answer is simple: truth and love. This may sound trite or fanciful, but I am not advocating a whimsical or baseless love, which would never stand in the face of Jihad. I think we must respond with a love grounded in truth and self-sacrifice, reflecting the person and heart of Jesus Christ. After all, he died not slaughtering his enemies, but forgiving them.”

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Mark Galli
“A Meditation on the Orlando Shooting”
Christianity Today

“To be sure, there is a matrix of political, social, and psychological issues that must be addressed with vigilance. But while we attend to these matters, we Christians also recognize that this is at heart a spiritual battle with what the apostle Paul calls the ‘principalities and powers.’ And that gives us a clue as to what, in addition to our social service as citizens, our unique contribution can be at times like this: prayer.”

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Joy Beth Smith
“Lingering in Lament after the Orlando Massacre”
Boundless

“We have a biblical mandate to grieve with those who grieve. There are the handful who immediately and openly proclaim that this tragedy is a result of sin or a lack of gun control or lax policing. There are others who retweet an article on the tragedy while harboring feelings that perhaps this end was well deserved. But I have been encouraged by the posts I’ve seen and the people I respect who are reaching out after the Orlando massacre—many of us refuse to fall into these traps as we recognize the value of each of those lives that have been lost.”

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Shane Morris
“Exploitation Fatigue and Chik-fil-A”
Troubler of Israel, Patheos

“Evidently, the managers at these franchises thought those lining up outside of blood donation centers to help the surviving victims could use a little nourishment. So they handed out meals.

“Simple. Human. And a total violation of a policy longtime Chick-fil-A addicts have sought for years to overturn. But apparently, these location owners took Jesus’ words in Matthew 12 to heart. . . .”

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Dr. William Brown
“Can We Make Sense of the Orlando Massacre?”
BreakPoint.org

“Maybe the center will hold. Maybe anarchy will not be loosed.

“If so, it will be because the best of us are standing with conviction and passionate intensity, knowing that God is on the move.”

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Caryn Rivadeneira
“Responding to horror with humanity”
For Her, Aleteia

“The ache and sorrow of these beautiful words remind us to join the Pope—and indeed people of faith everywhere—in prayers for peace and comfort for the victims and their loved ones and for healing for those recovering from physical or emotional wounds. And in prayers for the first responders and witnesses, for doctors and nurses and therapists and all who continue to care for those affected by the tragedy. And, we pray for peace and mercy for all who harbor such anger and hatred and violence in their hearts.”

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Dr. Kathy Koch
How Big Are Your Footsteps?
DrKathyKoch.com

“By experiencing these encounters with you and through you, your children can learn much about the world, you, themselves, others, and God and His ways. You can use tragedies and times of great blessing to teach much about your values and beliefs. When you’re intentional, your children will more likely learn what you want them to. You can use times like this to evaluate your children’s behavior.”