By Nicole Kalil, Florida Baptist Convention Florida Baptists are reeling along with all of Florida and the rest of the nation after a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. yesterday leaving 17 dead and another 14 injured. While law enforcement and state officials issue calls to prayer at press conferences, Florida Baptist churches in the area are mourning their own losses while offering words of hope and help to those hurting in their community. The main campus of Church by the Glades is located less than 10 minutes from the school and lead pastor David Hughes said many of the students in his church attend Douglas High. Hughes held back sobs as he explained that a few families in his church had suffered a fatality and one family has a son who is “gravely injured.” They are still in the process of accounting for all their members connected to the school. Hughes said that at times like this people often wrestle with the reasons but that’s not the most important question to have answered. “What now?” he said is the better question. And “Who wins?” “Do we let fear and cruelty, violence and hatred win or do we continue to fight against the darkness and continue to bring the … [Read more...]