How does God feel about Audrey Hale the transgender woman who shot up a Christian school a couple days ago? (on 03/27/2023).
I know how I felt when I heard the news. Someone who went into a Christian school and murdered adults and children, even three 9 year olds who had no involvement and nothing to do with the shooter. I was pissed. My dear wife had to listen to me rant about all the ways I felt this was not only awful but stupid, foolish, and I think I made a few references to the shooter spending time in hell for all eternity. (who is now deceased thanks to some very efficient officers; I thank God for them).
But today as I was driving to work my mind drifted into pondering how God felt about Audrey. If God could deliver a message to Audrey in her last dying moments after what she had just done what would He say?
That's a tough one to answer and I'm not a prophet. But a few things I know about God. First, He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Eze. 33:11). I've also seen God react to those who even wanted to kill Him... in fact, when Jesus was performing healing miracles in front of people who hated him back in His days on earth, witnesses record that they were watching Him to see if He would do it in a way that violates their laws in order that they might accuse Him (Mark 3:2). So hardened they were that they were completely shutoff to the fact He was doing miracles of healing before their eyes, later they would kill Him. If anyone had reason to be seething mad it was Jesus, and while He was angry, it records He was also "grieved at their hardness of heart". God grieves over all the lost no matter how lost, hardened, and opposed to Him they are.
This is perhaps where me and God might argue... If I was God, there would be so much smiting in the world... take advantage of someone I care about? Smite! Hurt someone I love, double smite! Cut me off in traffic...hmm... well... yep Smite! (Yes I know I'd be smited too). But you know what bothers me greatly when I'm in my judgmental mood about things like what Audrey did... if someone could have perhaps leaned over Audrey in her last moments, whispered the words of God's grace to her, that Christ successfully paid for all her sins, even these last horrific ones well in advance on the cross, and if she's just receive that grace, that in just moments after she breathed her last she would be locking arms in love with those Christians she had just murdered, in perfect unity, forgiveness, looking up at the God of all grace, rejoicing together in what He had done for them all; basking in God's 100% approval and fellowship, abiding in a Perfect Father's love, enjoying full, justified, unhindered acceptance of them all for all eternity.
Perhaps one of my most favorite things Jesus ever pointed out was the reaction of the Father of the prodigal son who returned to Him after a life of living in deep, dark, perpetual sin, and when the older brother saw the Father treating him well...he was quite upset. It's worth reading (Luke 15:11-32). But my favorite line of it all is in Luke 15:32 where the Father explained "But we HAD to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found".
Hear the heart of God there "We had to celebrate" He says. When a lost child, no matter how bad it's gotten turns to God, God cannot-not celebrate. His own heart won't have anything less than abundant celebration and rejoicing. That's our God. I'm not saying God doesn't hate sin, He does, just witness the magnitude of suffering Christ endured in our place and you'll see just how much. I'm not minimizing the justice of God, it's real. I'm magnifying the grace of God. If God could only speak a few words to Audrey in her last moments, I believe it would have been not words of His justice or condemnation, but words of His grace and compassion for that is where His heart is (2 Cor. 5:20).