Pennsylvania
‘That’s when I heard the first bullet’
Just before the shooting began at former President Donald Trump’s…
Christians pray for Trump — and the divided nation — after assassination attempt
Church leaders call for peace and healing in an ‘eye-for-an-eye world.’
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The morning after a gunman perched atop a roof narrowly missed killing former President Donald Trump, Christians across the U.S. came together Sunday — as always — to worship God and pray.
About 270 miles southeast of the Pennsylvania farm show grounds where shots rang out at Trump’s Saturday night campaign rally — and about 20 miles west of the nation’s capital — minister Robin Gough stepped to the pulpit at the Fairfax Church of Christ in Virginia.
The preacher immediately focused the congregation’s attention on the assassination attempt.
Robin Gough preaches for the Fairfax Church of Christ in Virginia.
“In times like these, it’s important for us to come together and pray for our nation,” Gough said. “Pray for the families of those who were killed, for healing and comfort. We should pray for former President Trump and President Biden, asking God to protect and guide them.
“We need to stand against divisiveness and violence,” the minister emphasized to the Washington, D.C.-area church. “What happens in an eye-for-an-eye world? Everyone ends up blind.”
The attack left the Republican presidential candidate bloodied — after a bullet grazed his ear — and claimed the life of a retired fire chief, Corey Comperatore. Two other spectators were wounded, while a U.S. Secret Service sniper gunned down the shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.
At the Newark Church of Christ in Delaware — Biden’s home state, where the Democratic president was attending a Catholic Mass at the time of the Trump shooting — minister K. Rex Butts voiced his alarm and sadness Sunday at the political violence.
“I reminded the church that we are blessed to be peacemakers and then read 1 Timothy 2:1-4, ‘I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness,’” Butts said. “‘This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.’”
Related: Where does God Almighty stand on Biden vs. Trump?
A Newark elder then “offered a prayer for peace in our nation as well as around the world,” the minister said, “and for the safety of both President Biden and former President Trump.”
For months, leaders of the Reidland Church of Christ in Paducah, Ky., had planned a special service Sunday centered on praying for the nation’s leaders, minister Brian Brophy said.
The schedule called for a left-leaning member to pray for Trump and a right-leaning member to pray for Biden.
The idea was to “demonstrate that we can stand together praying for people we don’t necessarily agree with,” Brophy said. “We wanted to follow Paul’s command to Timothy to pray for our leaders regardless of how we feel about them.”
Saturday’s shooting caused the Kentucky church to reassess those plans.
“It was quite a shock to see the news,” Brophy said. “Needless to say, those involved in planning our service were texting back and forth about how this impacted what we would do. In the end, we decided it was more important than ever for us to pray for our leaders.
“We can sometimes forget that these political caricatures we see on TV are real people with real fears, real traumas and real families who care about them,” he added. “We need to pray for their safety and for their families and, most of all, that God would capture their hearts in such a way that they would lead our country in wisdom and peace, that the Gospel may spread.”
“We can sometimes forget that these political caricatures we see on TV are real people, with real fears, real traumas and real families who care about them.”
At the McDermott Road Church of Christ in Plano, Texas, minister Wes McAdams already planned to talk Sunday about “things going on in the world.” But after the attack on Trump, he decided to acknowledge specifically the “events in Pennsylvania.”
“I talked about violence, division and unrest but didn’t speak of anyone by name,” McAdams said. “I spoke briefly about the fear and anger many might be feeling.”
However, he intentionally kept his remarks within the context of his planned sermon, hoping to “acknowledge the tragedy and the emotions” without distracting from the Gospel or inflaming political passions on either side.
Wes McAdams preaches for the McDermott Road Church of Christ in Plano, Texas.
“I’m not sure whether I walked that tightrope in the best way or not,” McAdams said. “At least one member did not care for the way I handled it. He wished I had taken more time to talk explicitly about what happened and asked people to pray. However, shortly after that man spoke to me, another member admitted that he had been very angry, and the words this morning were helpful.”
In his communion remarks at the Pitman Road Church of Christ in Sewell, N.J., elder Dan Cooper said he “reminded the audience that we are in a world very much like the first century world” with “great political turmoil then as now.”
“Even as Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper in the upper room, he did so in a land that was occupied by the hated Romans,” Cooper said. “He reminded his disciples of the importance of his spiritual kingdom before any physical kingdom.”
During Bible class time at the Como Church of Christ in Mississippi, minister and elder Taylor Francis prayed for peace, asking that “God would heal the divisions in our nation and give us the willingness and ability to talk and discuss instead of lash out.”
The Alma School Road Church of Christ in Chandler, Ariz., “prayed for peace for our country and good health for Trump,” said Ryan Bitikofer, one of the ministers.
Dean Kelly, minister for the Highland Home Church of Christ in Alabama, took his Sunday sermon from Isaiah and focused on the hope in Christ.
“A mention of what happened to Trump fit naturally in talking about not finding hope in this world but only in Jesus,” Kelly said.
“I mentioned where I was when both Kennedys were killed and stated that this is evil no matter what party is involved,” he added, referring to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the 1968 assassination of U.S. Sen. and Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy.
President John F. Kennedy rides in the limousine in Dallas minutes before the 1963 assassination.
A leader of the Brunswick Church of Christ in Maine “denounced the act of violence, and prayers were offered for all involved and all in government,” minister Charlie Harrison said.
Bobby Valentine, minister for the Eastside Church of Christ in Antioch, Calif., spent about 10 minutes talking about the shooting in the introduction of his Sunday sermon.
“Then we prayed for President Trump, the family of the shooter, the other victims,” Valentine said, and “for leaders of the various political parties to sow seeds of peace.”
Former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday in Butler, Pa.
Adam Davis, minister for the Wheeler Road Church of Christ in Midland, Mich., announced a special prayer service for next Sunday.
“This service will invite us to lament the violence in our country, confess any role we have played in exacerbating it and listen to God’s voice through Scripture,” Davis said. “We will also allow the Holy Spirit to guide and challenge us in how to practice our faith during times of violent tragedy.”
Back in Fairfax, Gough said Christians can either escalate political polarization or struggle to embody a better way.
He prayed for the latter, which he called “the Jesus way.”
BOBBY ROSS JR. is Editor-in-Chief of The Christian Chronicle. Reach him at [email protected].
