The 2 mass shootings after that followed the one in California didn't surprise me. The fact that another shooter shot a man outside a synagogue in Florida and the news hadn't bothered to mention, was upsetting but also not very surprising. When I found out they were all by white supremacists, I just acknowledged that evil was reaching its fruition on that front and the consequences of it were being laid out for everyone to see. We ignore that crime, it becomes more extensive and we become accessories to it.
When I found out the El Paso shooting took place at a Walmart, I did think, "Haven't there been other shootings at Walmart before? Why that store so often?"
Then I discovered Walmart sells guns in store and has an open carry policy. "Oh..."
Then I went to Walmart. It's the cheapest place to get groceries and when you're lower income you don't have much room to debate. I can't afford Safeway right now.
When I walked into Walmart the first thing I noticed was the diversity. You have Hispanic people, black people, white people, Muslim women... The other thing I noticed that actually kind of surprised me and frightened me were how many Children were present. More than any other group there, you had Families with Kids. And I worried for them.
As usually when I was in the check-out stand I prayed silently and brought God's presence into he space. You can tell when a place is "covered" and protected. You'll go to pray and immediately get the sense that it's "not needed". That God's already there in full. I think that's why we're meant to pray over places over time -to ensure that's the case. Especially a place like Walmart that doesn't seem to care about the pattern of its customers getting shot up over the years.
If God's people are there, regardless of how management treats them, God will find a way to come through.
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