Georgia Man Saved

With the recent event of the Georgia courthouse shooting taking a woman hostage, there has been an interesting turn of events--at least in a spiritual sense. While the man will still be charged with four counts of murder and probably spend the rest of his natural life in a prison cell, his eternal salvation is secure. Ashley Smith, the woman hostage who was released a few days ago, tells the story of how she read The Purpose Driven Life. Her reading of Rick Warren's book apparently led the gunman to turn his life over to Christ and also release the woman.

What annoys me is some of the cynicism exhibited by the authorities (I quote from the USA Today article):

Her actions with Nichols brought praise from Randy Spivey, director of the National Hostage Survival Training Center in Spokane, Wash., a company that trains personnel for the National Guard, State Department and Department of Homeland Security.

"She did all the right things," he said.

Smith defused the stress inside her apartment by telling Nichols there was "no reason you should die," Spivey said. She humanized herself by reading to him and making him breakfast, and she kept looking for a way out. "She hit all three keys to successful hostage survival," he said.

First of all, she may have indeed done all the right things--but she had the "ultimate" right thing--Jesus Christ. Randy Spivey appears to assume that Nichols was always planning on killing Ms. Smith, even after she was released. Moreover, it appears that somehow Ms. Smith "talked" her way out of the situation. Why does Mr. Spivey simply just admit that, perhaps there was a supernatural force at work? Why does Mr. Spivey not simply admit that, perhaps God can change hearts in an instant? Did Ms. Smith hit all three keys to a successful hostage survival? Perhaps, at least in the earthly sense. I find that she hit the most important, singular key to surviving this hostage situation (and any other situation in life, frankly), is that she allowed Jesus to enter the situation and change hearts.

Granted, not in every hostage situation will Jesus bring people out and alive, unharmed like Ms. Smith. Why did the gunman accept Jesus? Ms. Smith did one thing right in this situation--she did her duty as a follower of Christ--to share the good news. God only knows why He granted mercy to Ms. Smith--perhaps He had bigger plans for Ms. Smith before He brought her home. I suspect, perhaps, that this testimony will be told in many papers (and it already has), and perhaps people will hear the good news and the power that God has to change hearts. Jesus can, and does change lives--if we let Him. This gunman, wrought with sin (like all of us), allowed God to change His heart, and the testimony of Jesus will go further today than compared to yesterday.

God bless all of you.