'Our doors are open.' Oxford area churches share comfort, hope, truth following shooting

Comfort, truth, and hope.

These are the values Oxford area churches tried to impart to congregations Sunday morning, days after four local high school students lost their lives from a shooting.

There were also words of comfort, healing and more, but no matter what the denomination, all welcomed the community as safe places to heal and reflect on the past week’s tragedy.

“Our doors are open, that’s the biggest thing,” said Christy Turk, Oxford United Methodist Church’s marketing coordinator.

Comfort

On Sunday, the Rev. John Carlin, associate pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Orion Township, wanted to give people a message of hope and comfort.

During this time of Advent, much of his prayer has been about walking through the darkness and waiting for the light of Christmas Day.

“Very much more so in the light of the tragedy at Oxford High School,” he said.

Candles were lit for Advent at Sunday's service, but also for the four students who died to provide repose for their souls and comfort for their families: Madisyn Baldwin, Hana St. Juliana, Tate Myre and Justin Shilling.

During the homily, Carlin spoke of faith and hope getting people through dark times.

There will always be ups and downs. People will have high times and ecstasies and low times where they ask where God went, he said.

God doesn’t have people skip to the end of the darkness, but He does want to walk with them, even through the darkness. So people should have trust in Him.

“Because He will elevate you,” Carlin said. “He will bring you to the good times if you trust in Him.”

Truth

Elder Doug Thompson said he had to step away from the usual gospel Sunday at nondenominational Addison Township Community Church, as a great evil had come to the community and he had to address it.

During the service, he said he couldn’t stand in front of the congregation and give them glossy images of hope.

There was nothing he could say to heal people's wounds. He could only give them the truth to understand and share with them the only person who could heal them: Jesus.

There is no better way to heal than to serve Christ to the community and accepting Christ is the only way to move forward from something like this, Thompson said.

“Nothing heals the heart except for Christ,” he said. “Jesus is literally the only way.”

He said it’s sad that children have been failed and Tuesday they saw what mankind is capable of without Christ.

However, while the world focuses on the evil of one, the church focuses on the hundreds who helped. On Tuesday, he saw car after car and ambulance after ambulance rushing to Oxford High School to help.

“One committed evil and hundreds responded,” he said.

Hope

Turk said Oxford United Methodist Church wanted to give people peace, love and guidance Sunday.

One word that got special attention was hope, which was highlighted during the service’s “Word for God’s Children” segment.

“We’re probably needing a lot of hope right now,” Turk said.

She said the community needs time to heal and the church is open to them, giving them space to pray and reflect.

“We’re relying on each other to come to terms with it, grieve through it, and decide how we move forward,” she said.

The Rev. Julius Del Pino said people have to dig deep and lean on each other for strength during this time, find new pockets of mercy and hope.

“In this horrendous time, death does not have a last word,” he said.

“We shall overcome.”

Contact Bryce Airgood: 517 267-0448 or bairgood@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @bairgood123.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: After Oxford school shooting, area churches share comfort, hope, truth