The Christian Post reports that Fowler United Methodist Church, a primarily African American congregation in Annapolis, Maryland, is recovering following an act of vandalism on June 8, 2023. The vandalism caused approximately $100,000 in damages. Anne Arundel County Police are investigating the incident as a potential hate crime.
The church’s Senior Pastor Jerome Jones told the Annapolis-based Capital Gazette that he’d “never seen a church desecrated to where you just feel the hate.”
The Christian Post‘s report may be read HERE.
My brothers and sisters, the evil one loves to provoke even believers into sin through such attacks. Let’s lift up those injured by this vandalism and pray that those responsible would be identified and find it in their heart(s) to repent and come to know Jesus (or return to Jesus)! We don’t know the motivation for this situation, given the limited information available, but it’s undeniable that this was a deliberate and emotional act underpinned by anger, if not hate.
Psalm 97:10 (NKJV)
“You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.”
Matthew 5:43-48 (ESV)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘[y]ou shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, [l]ove your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For [H]e makes [H]is sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Mark 11:25 (ESV)
“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Praise Jesus forevermore!
