Big Guns, Bigger God

I was teaching in a classroom that was suddenly surrounded by police officers and sheriffs with a noisy chopper hovering over the building. As my guest speaker was leaving, I looked out of the window and saw officers running toward my building with big guns drawn. I felt like I was on a movie set. I immediately closed and locked the door as I calmly told my guest without explanation, “You’ll need to stay here awhile longer.”

Officers surrounded the building as we watched the drama unfold. At one
point, an officer spoke to me through an open window that had security bars. He requested a key to the gated playground next to our building. I told him I didn’t have the key. As he walked away, a student asked, “Why didn’t he just hop the fence like they do in the movies?” “That’s a good question,” I replied.

The officer didn’t ask if we were okay, so I couldn’t help wondering if he knew that the person being chased had not run into my classroom. Would he have walked away like that if someone had been holding us hostage? After the helicopter and officers left about forty-five minutes later, everyone safely exited all buildings on campus. To my surprise, I saw officers making arrests nearby.

The peace I displayed throughout the ordeal surpassed my understanding. I’m a living witness that God alone protects us from dangers seen and unseen.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 4:6,7).

Have you learned that guns are powerful but God is all-powerful?