Letter From the Editor: July 1, 2015

On the evening of June 17, nine members of the Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, SC lost their lives when an active shooter opened fire during a weekly Bible Study session. The shockwave that rippled through the country in the days after this horrific event bore a range of emotions, questions, fear, and sadness—but also heightened attention on our only hope as a people and a nation, Jesus Christ.

After all, this tragedy occurred in a sanctuary, of all places. Although the mainstream media will soon shift its focus from this tragedy, we as a community will not forget the devastation of that day. In honor and remembrance of the lives lost during this horrific event, CCM reached out to Christian artists for their words of grief, reflection, and hope for the future.

This sinful, vicious and most violent act in Charleston, South Carolina, is proof the world needs Jesus now more than ever. Michael Tait / Newsboys

It is by the LOVE and forgiveness we show across color, culture and denominational lines, that we prove that although we are in this world, we are not of it. Nicole C. Mullen

Going to church, you never expect this kind of thing to happen. You think of church as one of the safest places to be. In a split second, someone’s anger changed that. Lord, help us. Jason Crabb

I believe that now is no time for fear nor standing back but more than ever, a time for the body of Christ to come together in prayer asking the Lord to be a light in this darkness and to heal our nation. Blanca

Events like these should motivate us even more towards the spreading of the Gospel. The Gospel provides the only hope for true change and setting people free from their mental chains. FLAME

For more quotes and commentary from more artists and leaders, please click the links in the above table of contents.

#PrayersForCharleston