April 21, 1999
Church must 'restore' community
___By Dan Martin
___Texas Baptist Communications
___SAN ANTONIO--As Bruce Tippett unfolded the story of the tragedy at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Ark., his calm retelling was in sharp contrast to the horror of the March 24, 1998, act of random violence which left five dead and 10 injured.
___Standing in the chapel at First Baptist Church of San Antonio, and speaking to participants at a conference on the church and random violence, Tippett listed the events:
___March 24, 1998, Andrew
Golden, 11, and Mitchell Johnson, 13, opened fire on classmates at Westside Middle School after one of them set off the fire alarm to lure teachers and classmates outside. Four students and a teacher died.
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___"An event the size of this tragedy is similar to being drawn in the vortex of a whirlpool," he said. "There is no way to avoid it or not be drawn in by it."
___Three days after the tragedy, Tippett recalled, he was reading the "One-Year Bible" during his quiet time and the assigned portion was Psalm 69.
___"It was not difficult to identify with verses 1-3," the pastor of First Baptist Church of Jonesboro said. Those verses talk of being engulfed in deep waters and sinking in the miry depths, of crying for help.
___"Yet it was verse four that reached up and grabbed me," he said. The last part of that verse says, "I am forced to restore that which I did not steal."
___"Without question, that is the position a church and its ministers find themselves in as they seek to respond to random violence," Tippett said.
___As the tragedy of Jonesboro unfolded, Tippett said the community and churches, including the one where he is pastor, were "thrust into the event for which we were not responsible, but we were in a position to put back things we ourselves never took away."
___As the shootings occurred, Tippett went to the hospital, reacting because he had been trained to do disaster response. Teachers also reacted as they had been trained, using the earthquake drill as a model.
___"Training, regardless of its simulation, cannot really prepare you for the actual event," he reported. "The event throws things at you that are unanticipated, such as the real emotions, the chaos, the confusion, the sounds and the lives.
___"No amount of training prepares you for the feelings of grief, hurt and anger that arise when you see the faces of little girls who have been shot."
___In the aftermath of the shootings, First Baptist Church has "mainly sought to serve our members in an ongoing capacity," Tippett said.
___He recounted that on the day of the trial, he watched in frustration as the media trucks rolled up again. He felt helpless.
___Ultimately, the church became a "compassion center," a place where families of the victims could go during the trial.
___"We agreed we would provide lunch for the 125 members of the families, teachers and police. That was truly a gift for those families that day. They grieved, cried, laughed, hugged and were fed all they wanted in a place of refuge.
___"We allowed no media nor did we permit any interviews. The response from those participating was truly gratifying," he said.
___When ministers and churches confront random violence--and he predicted that the issue is not if but when random violence will strike --they should "remember God," Tippitt said.
___"God is a God who suffers with us and for us. Remember that God is in charge. Remember that you are only able to act in his strength and power. Remember that he is the one who ultimately restores what has been stolen."
See related stories:
Counter random violence with acts of kindness, speakers urge Pastor's advice: Listen more than talk Chaplain: Caring carries high cost for caregivers Two mothers found grace to forgive the men who killed their daughters Prayer meeting shooting brings churches together
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