Emotions are running high in the city of Chardon, Ohio, where a gunman went on a horrific shooting spree at Chardon High School on Monday that has resulted in the death of three students and the wounding of two others. But as members of the community mourn, area pastors have banded together to lend an ear, help residents with the grieving process and show people that there is hope in God.
First Baptist Church of Painesville is located several miles away from Chardon, but when yesterday’s attack occurred, Pastor Peter McCurdy knew he had to do something.
As a child, McCurdy experienced a terrifying gun incident of his own. When he was about 9-years-old, he was nearly shot when a man who had been stalking his family fired a gun at him from just outside his boyhood home.
By the “grace of God,” McCurdy said, the bullet changed its trajectory when it went through the window casing and missed him by about three feet. He believes that the feelings he felt after that incident are similar to what Chardon High School students are feeling today.
“In a home or a school you always sort of have this expectation of safety. And right now that is just ripped from them, and it is a very…insecure, terrifying state to be in,” he told The Christian Post on Tuesday.
On Monday evening his church offered a prayer vigil that was attended by about 100 people. Three other area pastors helped with the vigil, and they took turns praying for individuals and reading comforting Bible verses. Four students from Chardon High were among those who participated in the vigil.
Source: Christian Post | Jeff Schapiro
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