When Faith is the Target

We have once again witnessed another act of violence targeting Christians. The media has rushed to label this a “school shooting,” as if it were just one more statistic. School violence is horrendous, but in this case, a school alone was not in the crosshairs. This was an attack on Christianity. 

On August 27, at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis, children were gunned down while gathered for morning Mass. Two young lives were lost, dozens more were wounded, and a house of worship was violated during a prayer service. 

Even sadder than the grief of the moment were the words of Minneapolis’s mayor, Jacob Frey, dismissing the cries for prayer: “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now; these kids were literally praying.” His implication is clear: Prayer failed. Faith failed. Christianity failed.

Mr. Frey, let me be clear: Christianity wasn’t the failure—it was the target! 

The FBI has already confirmed what the media will never say plainly: this was a hate crime against Christians. The shooter mocked Christ, etched anti-Christian graffiti on weapons, and chose the moment of worship as the stage for his violence. 

This fits into a larger pattern we can no longer ignore. Christian churches are being vandalized, pastors are being threatened, believers are being sued, and increasingly, the world is silent. The world doesn’t mind “religion” in general, as long as it’s watered down into vague spirituality. What the world hates is the Gospel. We are watching hostility grow, including the ridicule of prayer, legal battles against biblical morality, and acts of violence against believers. 

Our culture scrambles to assign blame after every tragedy, and the same tired script plays every time: 

• Guns are blamed, as if steel and mechanics are the root of sin.  

• Mental health is ignored while a generation drowning in depression and confusion is told the path to happiness is to redefine oneself, find a new gender, or amputate body parts.  

• Faith is mocked while politicians sneer at prayer. Media outlets dismiss Christianity as outdated.

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The very hope our children need is scorned by the leaders tasked with protecting them. Jesus warned us plainly: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18). What we saw in Minneapolis is only the latest expression of that hatred. When society rejects truth, it opens the floodgates for the darkness to rush in. At its core, this is not about politics or policy but the oldest spiritual battle. 

In addition to Christians facing increasing hostility, there has been a subsequent rise against the Jews. Rising antisemitism is exploding across Europe, America, and even in our schools. Jewish students are harassed for their identity, synagogues are defaced, and entire countries and societies openly call for the erasure of Israel. Kibbutz members are massacred in some of the most heinous ways imaginable, and then the blame is cast on Israel herself (sound familiar?)

In addition to the anti-Christian sayings on the shooter's gun and ammo were anti-Israel phrases. This was an attack on those who love God. The same spiritual hatred that despises the Church also despises Israel. Satan hates both because both bear the mark of God’s covenant. The Church was grafted into the promises given to Abraham. Without Israel, there is no Church, and without the Messiah of Israel, there is no salvation. 

This is why these attacks often come in tandem as antisemitism and anti-Christian hostility rise together. Both are different fronts of the same war against the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Church, we must wake up and not stand by in silence, but stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish brothers and sisters, affirming that their safety matters. 

So how do we respond? With courage, conviction, and hope: 

1. Pray Boldly, Publicly, and Passionately

Prayer was in the crosshairs in Minneapolis. This means we should pray all the more! We need bold, public, and passionate prayer instead of timid “thoughts and prayers” or appeasement to a hostile culture. Let the world, our children, and our neighbors feel the power of our prayers. The early church prayed in the streets, prison cells, homes, and temple courts. They prayed until the room shook, and we must do the same. 

2. Speak Boldly

Silence is not a virtue when evil advances. We must be watchmen who sound the trumpet (Ezekiel 33:7). We must call sin what it is, name deception when we see it, and refuse to soften the truth for cultural approval.  

3. Stand with Israel

When antisemitism rises, the Church cannot remain neutral. We owe our faith to Israel’s Messiah as revealed in the Scriptures. When the Jewish people are attacked, it is our calling to defend them, to love them, and to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).  

4. Love Our Neighbor 

Friends, please do not mistake my zeal for condoning retaliation. Never! Our prayers and zeal for the Lord must be balanced with love for our neighbors. Love doesn’t mean silence in the face of evil; it means we speak truth with compassion, offer hope with conviction, and serve even those who hate us with the same mercy we ourselves have received. 

Yes, this was an attack on Christianity. Yes, antisemitism is on the rise. Yes, hostility against biblical values is mounting. But this is not the end of the story. The Apostle Paul’s words to the Romans ring louder today than ever: “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). 

The crosshairs may be on God's children, be it Jew or Gentile, a synagogue or a church, but the victory is His.