Baptists and other Christians offered prayers and pleas for peace in the aftermath of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a July 13 campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
Trump sustained an injury to his right ear, but a statement from his campaign said he is “fine after being checked out at a local hospital.” A rally attendee, former fire chief Corey Comperatore, was killed, as was the shooter. Two other people also were wounded.
Texas Baptists’ Christian Life Commission issued a statement expressing grief for the loss of life and prayers for the “speedy and full recovery” for the former president and “for our entire nation.”
“The murder of at least one rally attendee and attempted murder of the former president is an assault on the image of God, and gun violence is in direct opposition to the pro-life values of Texas Baptists,” the CLC statement reads.
“The CLC unequivocally condemns all acts of political violence as an affront to democracy and our nation.”
The CLC called on Christians to “lead the way in loving our neighbors as ourselves.”
“This moment is a reminder of the sacredness of all human life and that we have more in common than what divides us. We invite Texas Baptists to pray for healing in our nation.”
‘May your people be peacemakers’
On Sunday morning, July 14, Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Director Julio Guarneri tweeted a prayer on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: “As we prepare to gather in our houses of worship, we grieve. Our country, and the world, has been shaken by the tragedy that occurred yesterday.
“The violent attack on former President Trump and the senseless loss of lives reminds us of our divisions and our brokenness. Regardless of political persuasion, your people hold human life sacred because you do. Any attack on those made in your image is a transgression against you.
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“Today may your gathered people pray in humility. May we grieve before you for the state of our world. May we repent of bitterness, hatred, malicious talk and pettiness. May we seek your forgiveness, experience your grace, and desire to be like you.”
Guarneri continued: “May we learn to pray for and talk to those who disagree with us. May your people be peacemakers so that we can truly be called the children of God.”
Appeal to ‘the better angels of our nature’
Bart Barber, immediate past president of the Southern Baptist Convention, posted a message on his blog for members of his congregation, First Baptist Church in Farmersville, asking them to “pray for our nation.”
“Let us make it clear that this kind of behavior is unacceptable. Unlike people in many other places around the world, we get to speak by way of our votes,” Barber wrote.
“We live in a nation where our votes are not coerced, we are not threatened or intimidated in our voting, our votes are fairly counted every time, and our country transfers power every time in accord with the expressed wishes of the people.”
He urged prayer for Trump “no matter how you plan to vote in November.”
“Let us all speak with one voice saying that this kind of behavior is WRONG. Let us not contribute to making things worse, but let us be the ones summoning what Lincoln called ‘the better angels of our nature’ in all of those around us,” Barber wrote.
“Let us do all of those things around our family tables, in our Sunday School classrooms, and in our presence online.”
‘No place whatsoever in America’
Brent Leatherwood, president of the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, stated: “In a democracy like ours, we voice our opinions, we passionately press our case, we bravely dissent, and we loudly campaign for our cause. But we must never cross the line to harm those we disagree with.
“Political violence has hurt too many individuals and taken too many lives in our history. Now is the moment for all of us to unite and bring a swift and universal condemnation to this vile act that has no place whatsoever in America.
“While it will be easy to use this moment as an opportunity to dig in our heels, I urge Americans to pause, lament this violence, and realize how far we have strayed from our nation’s ideals. Let’s commit to praying for our leaders, those who are willing to serve in public office, and appeal to our Lord that his reconciling work would be poured out on this nation to overcome the hatred that is so prevalent in our culture.”
Leatherwood’s predecessor at the ERLC, Trump critic Russell Moore, editor in chief of Christianity Today, tweeted:“Political violence is evil to the core and is an attack on everything this country represents. Attempted murder is an attack on the image of God. This is awful.”
Bible teacher Beth Moore tweeted a prayer: “Jesus have mercy on us in these horrors and sorrows. We on this bloodied soil are desperate for your peace. Bind this heinous violence and cause sound minds to prevail and vicious plans to fail. Oh Jesus, Jesus, hasten to save.”
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