From the Editor
Marshall Shelley
July 1, 1999
Like every other Christian in the country, I was both appalled and amazed at the events in Littleton, Colorado, this spring.
Appalled at the horrific cruelty.
Amazed at the clear statements of faith in Christ emerging after the cold-blooded attacks at Columbine High School.
My parents, whose church is in Littleton, sent me e-mail almost daily on the memorial services and community reactions. (Isn't it interesting that prayer, Christian faith, and invoking God's name—often seen as inappropriate in public—are accepted as natural expressions in times of tragedy.)
I grieved the deaths, and I was grateful for the outstanding ministry of the pastors involved. They were well prepared. Their hearts (for God and for people) were strong. Their skills were well developed. They were able to serve well.
But there's a story behind this story. Fitness to minister can't be manufactured on the spot. Fitness is something you've gotta have before you need it. A crisis reveals your level of fitness; it's too late to try to get fit. Becoming fit to minister is done ahead of time.
In "Pastors in the News" (p. 11), you'll see how God and the ministers of Littleton began that necessary preparation three years ago. The crisis revealed the fruit of their faithfulness.
To all the pastors of "greater Littleton," thank you for the way you represented God and the rest of us in Christian ministry.
And now for something completely different. They say a healthy sense of humor is essential to spiritual fitness. (Thus the cartoons throughout Leadership.)
I don't know what it says about us, but I need to confess what happens in our editorial offices from time to time.
Shortly after it appeared in our Spring issue, the illustration seen below showed up on ...
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