After shooting, New Life turns on one of its own

After the shootings at New Life Church last week, one of its parishioners had emotional trouble and had words with church officials. Rather than show him some good Christian love and understanding, they cast him to the wind:

Larry Bourbonnais, 59, left church grounds peacefully at the request of church officials, who called in Colorado Springs police for extra support.

“He cooperated, and we told him that he wasn’t welcome back on the property,” police Sgt. Lonnie Spanswick said.

Church officials told police they plan to file a restraining order against Bourbonnais, Spanswick said.

It seems he may have wanted a more aggressive SWAT-team type response to the situation that fateful day. That right there tells us something important. And here's what some with more compassion than Pastor Boyd and New Life's governors think about this decision to remove Bourbonnais from the church:

Does Bourbonnais deserve more compassion?

This letter is in regard to the story “An emotional return” in the Dec. 17 Gazette. How unfortunate that one of the victims of the New Life Church shooting was escorted out of the church and told never to return after some “disturbance.” This raises many questions about the handling of this situation.

It would be very normal for someone who had suffered, as well as been shot and also tried to help save lives, to be emotionally upset, perhaps traumatized. Instead, Pastor Boyd said that he had been wrong in trying to save lives — and blamed the victim. Yet, this is who Jesus came to save — the wounded, broken-bodied and brokenhearted, the confused. On Wednesday night, when I attended the service, Boyd said there were psychologists and counselors standing by. Where were those counselors to help Larry Bourbonnais? Where were the people who knew him, from his spiritual community, to kindly take him aside and listen to his concerns? Where was compassion and outreach?

Does this imply that no minister from that church visited him immediately after the incident, to know that he was all right, physically and emotionally? How sad that a church would expel someone, just when he would have need of a spiritual community to help him through this incident. Perhaps Boyd is trying to get over this much too quickly.

Jesus created many disturbances and disruptions and challenges. Perhaps New Life Church needs to be better at listening, healing and bringing understanding and grace into the emotional upsets that are a natural part of this healing process. This is no time to toss someone out of the spiritual community — particularly someone who is clearly hurting and who heroically tried to save lives.

Linda Seger, Th.D.
Cascade

Parishioner deserves counseling, not rejection

I am appalled that New Life Church would turn Larry Bourbonnais away one week after he was a victim of the shootings at New Life. Is it because he criticized one of the security guards? Is it because he was vocal with the newspapers and reporters?

What kind of a Christian church is New Life? If the man is volatile, why doesn’t the church try to counsel him and help him through his traumatic experience? No, instead the church decides to seek a restraining order and ban him from the property.

In Monday’s Gazette there is a comment attributed to Pastor Brady Boyd that he told parishioners to be honest with their feelings. Why can’t Bourbonnais be honest with his feelings? Does the church see any similarities here between what happened to Bourbonnais and what happened to Matthew Murray? Murray was also turned away by so-called Christians. I’m glad I can see New Life’s true colors now.

Marian Harris
Colorado Springs

And some anonymous commenters around here had the nerve to question my criticism of those who claim one thing and do the exact opposite in the name of the Lord.