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We'll have to remember to thank the apostle John and the precious Marys, etc., for bearing up witnessing the worst.

Witnessing suffering teaches us to cling to what saves us from it, alright. It was John that a few years later got to see the Revelation of his suffering Savior and King. He had some stomach issues, too!
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Indeed.

And for at least a couple of decades . . . I've had the growing conviction that most believers will have to become so focused on Christ--as the martyrs of old--that beheadings, and the like that we may see walking down the street will have no lasting or even momentary impact on us such that we are distracted from what The Lord has us about at the time.

I'm saying at leas a couple of things.

1. Bloody mayhem will be common place on the streets in at least most of the world's large cities as lawlessness increases to epidemic proportions in these Biblically predicted END TIMES.

2. Christians must focus on Christ to the extent that no amount of bodily, personal risk and danger will hinder us in the slightest from doing and being for Him as He would have at those moments and in those settings.

3. That we realize to the core of our being that our greatest and only safety is IN HIM--and in walking, being IN HIS WILL FOR US momenty by moment, day by day. And, like Paul, that to live for Him is Christ; to die, is gain. [if I don't have it backwards].

4. The generations reared on FRIDAY 13 movies AND reared on really bad parents who DEMANDED SELFISHLY without providing the basics in unconditional love, support, good modeling . . . who generated deep bitterness, hatred and rage in their children by repeatedly provoking them to wrath persistently while not giving them loving discipline routinely . . . such children as adults will likely have far less compunctions about participating in bloody mayhem than any other generation in modern times.

5. I think that because of the above, I have somewhat forced myself to face some of the horrid bloody war on terror stuff as I sometimes forced myself to face some of the horrid suffering in Asia. I have such a . . . tender heart . . . I can cry over someone elses' frown, some hurting soul on the train that I never met. So it's been a big challenge for me to face such suffering and not become hardened to it while learning to cope better with it.

6. The martyrs of the Inquisitions often longed for the torture to continue because the blessedness of Christ's PRESENCE was so real during it. We CAN TRUST THAT HE IS AND WILL BE FAITHFUL to those who Love Him.

7. I want to emphasize again . . . a Believer's challenge is to endure suffering as an Overcomer--with Christ's heart--in empathetic understanding--even vicarious sharing of the suffering--yet without becoming hard hearted.

8. Thinking of the anguish of Steve's kids and wife is currently a hard struggle, for me. Yet, with some protective warnings for them and others declining to see it . . . I can understand and support Steve's insistence that such a video be shown.

9. A major part of his philosphy of life was the raw truth . . . and the raw acceptance of all that happened between animals--aggressor and prey. Life is raw. This is boot camp, not a tea party. We are challenged with death on every hand within and without TO CHOOSE LIFE AND TO CHOOSE HIM--CHRIST JESUS--WHO IS ETERNAL LIFE.

10. I think a major part of Steve's energy that he used so effectively was the kind of addictive rush he seemed to devour from perhaps reveling in the rawness--the unscripted life and death drama of life. It seems to me that he would have been loathe to censor that in any way.

11. I think it's no accident that Steve 'tempted death' so routinely AND at heart was a very faithful--EXALTING--REVELING-IN-LIFE son, husband, father who super relished loving his family and serving them. He even seemed to serve the public with almost as much relish.

12. I'm not trying to be crass here but as Christ said that husband and wife relations were a type of Christ's love for His Body The Church--I think Steve almost made existential love to every living creature and reveled in emotional, existential INTER-COURSE with all those close to him--and, amazingly even through the camera to us fortunate viewers. He SHARED, IMPARTED, IMBUED, INJECTED AND INFECTED THE VIBRANCY OF LIFE with us, into us and certainly more so his family.

13. Maybe that's why so many of us feel something precious has been ripped from us. In risking death so routinely, he imparted much to us vicariously of the preciousness--the vibrant, majestic preciousness of life.

Prayers for his family.