Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker went viral after posting a Bible verse in response to the Drag Queen performance that was featured during the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France.

The performance appeared to parody Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”

In post that has received over 4.9 million views on X, Butker shared an image of the controversial performance alongside a quotation of Galatians 6:7-8, which reads: “Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting.”

RELATED: Harrison Butker Slams Biden and Taylor Swift During Controversial Commencement Address at Benedictine College

Butker also posted an Instagram, where he said, “This is crazy.” That post has since expired.

Olympic officials were quick to apologize for any offense that was caused by the controversial segment. “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The Opening Ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance,” said Olympic spokesperson Anne Descamps during a press conference. “We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.”

Thomas Jolly, the performance’s artistic director, said the performance was “interpretation of the Greek god Dionysus [that] makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings.”

RELATED: ‘God Will Not Be Mocked’—John Cooper, Andy Stanley, and Candace Cameron Bure Outraged Over ‘Blasphemous’ Olympic Opening Ceremony

In May, Butker, a three-time Super Bowl champion, was sharply criticized after he spoke out against abortion and Pride Month and spoke in favor of women prioritizing homemaking during a commencement speech at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.

Earlier this month, Serena Williams took a shot at Butker during the ESPY Awards, telling the All-Pro kicker, “We don’t need you.”

During the awards, Williams was joined onstage with her sister, Venus, and “Abbot Elementary” star Quinta Brunson to celebrate women’s sports.

Christian singer and songwriter Matthew West is living out the words of the title track of his forthcoming album, “Don’t Stop Praying,” by encouraging his followers and fans to persevere in prayer and to put their hope in God. 

“I want to know if you’re out there, and maybe you’ve had something, that one thing, that you’ve been praying for for a long time,” West said in a video posted July 15, “and maybe it was a long time before you saw the answer to that prayer or the breakthrough or the miracle. Maybe you’re still praying for it.”

West asked people to share their stories if they felt comfortable. “I think it could encourage other people who are maybe going, ‘Should I even keep praying for this?’” he said.

“Let’s take a moment to encourage and pray for each other,” the singer said in the caption.

 

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Matthew West Prays for Couple at Concert

According to his website, Matthew West is a five-time Grammy nominee and the winner of a number of other awards, including Dove Awards, K-LOVE Fan Awards, and an American Music Award. He has hosted the K-LOVE Fan Awards seven times.

RELATED: Matthew West Encourages Christians To Stand for Their Faith No Matter the Opposition

West’s album, “Don’t Stop Praying,” is set to release on Oct. 4, and his single of the same name achieved the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Christian Airplay Chart, according to Crosswalk. West shared with Crosswalk the story of a woman who attended one of his concerts. When she and her husband approached him, West at first thought they wanted a selfie with him. 

But the woman said, “Would you mind praying for us?” She said she was having surgery the next day for breast cancer.

“Sometimes I can be guilty of saying, ‘Hey, I’ll be praying for you,’ and then you get busy with life, you move on and forget,” West said. But this time, he took a moment to pray with the couple, despite the long line of people waiting to see him.

The family of Mica Miller has reached a settlement with her husband, Pastor John-Paul Miller, resolving their disputes about Mica’s death. After a July 29 probate court hearing, lawyers for both sides announced the settlement, saying it provides closure to the case and justice for Mica.

Some terms of the agreement are confidential, but attorneys said it prevents Mica’s family from moving forward with a civil wrongful death lawsuit against John-Paul. In addition, John-Paul will be the representative for Mica’s personal estate. Earlier, her sister had requested that role.

The April 27 death of Mica Miller, age 30, was ruled a suicide. But questions lingered about alleged abuse and grooming by John-Paul, who was 14 years her senior. Prior to her death, Mica had repeatedly called police on her husband and had warned family members that he would be to blame if she was ever found dead.

RELATED: FBI Assisting With Investigation Into Mica Miller’s Death; SC Pastor Tried To ‘Raise Her From the Dead’

John-Paul Miller, pastor of Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has denied the abuse allegations. On the day Mica died, he was attending a sports event with a woman he was reportedly dating.

Settlement Brings Closure to Mica Miller Case

Attorney Regina Ward, who represents Mica Miller’s family, acknowledged that some people might be “disappointed” by the settlement. But she said the litigation could have taken years, and “we want to put this behind us.”

Mica’s family doesn’t “want to talk about Mr. Miller anymore,” Ward added. Instead, they want to “move forward to the next chapter,” working to pass a coercive-control law. Ward had previously pushed for a bill to end what she describes as “psychological warfare” that “will damage the very soul of a person.”

“We want to focus on the memory and beauty of Mica and everything she has represented for herself and every single person that has ever been in her situation,” said Ward. “When we say that we’ve gotten justice for Mica as a result of this settlement, it is true.”

John-Paul Miller’s Attorney Asks Protesters to Stop

Russell Long, legal representative for John-Paul Miller and his church, echoed Ward’s statement about justice. “This is over,” he said. “This global agreement is Mica’s justice. The next step is the legislative goal. We only ask that you remember Mica as the wonderful, beautiful person that she was.”

“Mica’s family, Pastor Miller, and the church have set their differences aside to allow Mica’s memory to live on without the encumbrance of continuous litigation,” Long continued. “Those that have sought justice for Mica should feel accomplished in helping the Francis family reach this milestone.”

Although “we don’t know every piece of information that led to the death of Mica,” Long added, “we do know that her life did serve a purpose. Her life mattered.”

“Those that are spending every Sunday morning protesting outside of Solid Rock Church chanting, ‘Justice for Mica,’” he said, “should recognize this time of healing and move on with their lives.”

The pastor of a Roman Catholic parish in Mason, Ohio, has stepped down after a petition calling for him to resign garnered more than 500 signatures. Fr. Barry Stechschulte of St. Susanna was recently implicated in the cover-up of the possible child sex crimes of another priest in 2012. 

In 2012, Stechschulte was serving at Holy Rosary in St. Marys, Ohio, when he discovered “inappropriate content, possibly child porn” on a computer that belonged to another priest, according to WLWT5. The priest to whom the computer belonged was Tony Cutcher, Stechschulte’s predecessor.

Stechschulte allegedly instructed a deacon to “destroy” the computer. The deacon reportedly carried out the request with a “blow torch.”

Stechschulte did not report the material to the police until 2018, after he had moved on from Holy Rosary and was serving at a different parish. Police conducted an investigation in 2018 but ultimately filed no criminal charges against Cutcher. Investigators indicated that the destruction of the hard drive complicated the investigation.

RELATED: Texas Pastor Resigns After ‘Inappropriate and Hurtful’ Behavior; Longtime Gateway Church Pastor To Serve as Interim Leader

Cutcher was removed from ministry by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 2018 after he was accused of sending inappropriate texts to a boy.

According to his Facebook profile, Stechschulte served Holy Rosary from 2012 to 2014 before moving to St. Patrick Catholic Church in Glynnwood, Ohio, in 2014. He came to St. Susanna in 2020.

Members of St. Susanna only recently became aware of Stechschulte’s 2012 actions, for which Stechschulte has apologized.

“I wish I could redo my initial decision from 2012. I am deeply sorry for the distress this has caused all of you,” Stechschulte said in a letter to the congregation.

However, a public outcry soon turned into a widely circulated petition for Stechschulte to step down. 

RELATED: Texas Pastor Known for Work in Community Arrested on 2 Sexual Assault Charges

“The decision you made to destroy evidence instead of reporting it to the proper authorities has severely compromised the confidence many of us have in your leadership,” the petition stated. “We believe that for the unity and peace of our parish to be restored, a change in leadership is necessary…we respectfully request your resignation from your position at St. Susanna.”

WASHINGTON (RNS) — Many of the Mennonites who marched over 135 miles from Harrisonburg, Virginia, to the White House had someone in mind as they walked, nursing blisters and removing ticks as they crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley in 11 days.

For Aidan Yoder, an organizer and college student at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, it was the people he met while visiting the West Bank in Palestine during the summer of 2023 on an intercultural college program. One of them was a dancer from Gaza who could not visit her family due to Israeli restrictions on movement, and another was an Arabic teacher who told him she is afraid that her community will face the same devastating bombings that have decimated Gaza.

Outside the White House on Sunday (July 28), the core group of about 15 who had walked with Yoder every day from the main Mennonite hub in the Southeast U.S. had grown 10 times larger, all gathered in prayer for a cease-fire. The Mennonite tradition developed as a peace church believing that the Gospel teaches nonviolence. Organizers said the group included Mennonites from at least 40 different churches in the U.S. and Canada, as well as interfaith supporters from Catholic, Lutheran, Jewish, evangelical Christian and Southern Baptist traditions.

“We need to do something that doesn’t make sense because what’s happening in Gaza doesn’t make sense,” said organizer Nick Martin, explaining the rationale behind “All God’s Children March for a Ceasefire.” Martin continued, “It violates all common sense. It violates basic tenets of human compassion.”

Martin said the group had marched through parking lots, along highways and through suburban neighborhoods. “We felt like we needed to go into places where we would see everyday people and disrupt these spaces where politics supposedly doesn’t exist, but everywhere is political,” he said.

The group had timed their arrival to coincide with the first day of the Christians United for Israel summit, where thousands of pro-Israel activists are expected to gather in National Harbor, Maryland. An interfaith coalition including Christians, Jews, Hindus and Muslims has planned counter-protests for the duration of the event, which Mennonites plan to join.

In February, an interfaith group led by Faith for Black Lives organized a similar march called “Pilgrimage for Peace” from Independence Hall in Philadelphia to the White House over eight days, starting February 14, a day that commemorates abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

This July march followed months of other actions and organizing by Mennonite Action, a group formed in November to protest for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

In January, about 130 Mennonites were arrested after holding a cease-fire hymn sing in the Cannon House Office Building. Song leaders kept the group in time and four-part harmony, even after their arms were zip-tied behind their backs, by stomping their feet. In December and March, local groups across the U.S. and Canada visited their representatives’ offices with quilts and more hymns.

On Eastern Mennonite University’s campus in March, students rang the campus bell for each of the people who had been killed in Palestine and Israel since the beginning of the war. At the time, it took three days of ringing the bell from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. each day.

Now, more than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of Israel’s military campaign, in addition to the 1,200 people killed in Israel during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks, according to their respective governments. The students would have to add another day of ringing if they repeated the protest.

In prayer, Sunday’s protesters uplifted current dire conditions in Gaza, where polio is beginning to spread. We repent of “dehumanizing the dead in Gaza, by counting them as numbers, but not as people who have dreams and aspirations,” said one protester. “How long, oh Lord, will this nightmare continue?”

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Catholic leaders along with a host of other Christian groups voiced outrage following the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris (July 26) over a scene starring drag performers and French entertainers that many interpreted as a parody of Jesus’ Last Supper.

Organizers have since apologized for the ceremony, while the creative director of the controversial scene, Thomas Jolly, said the Last Supper was not among his inspirations and that it was meant to represent the Greek gods during a banquet.

The tableau featured artists in drag, representing diverse cultural backgrounds, posed behind a long dining table while a woman wearing an ornate silver halo stood in the middle. Singer and actor Philippe Katerine emerged painted blue on a silver platter and adorned with grapes.

Over the weekend, before Jolly’s clarification, social media was rife with arguments over whether the scene was meant to invoke paintings of the Greek gods gathered at Mount Olympus — such as the 1636 painting “The Feast of the Gods” by Dutch artist Jan van Bijlert or the painting “Feast of the Gods” by Johann Rottenhammer and Jan Brueghel, circa 1600 — or if its true similarity was to Leonardo DaVinci’s famous artistic depiction of Jesus’ Last Supper.

Many Christians worldwide, including Vatican officials, saw the latter and took offense.

Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna, one of the Vatican’s top advisers in investigating sexual abuse cases, wrote on X that he had contacted the Maltese embassies to France to express the “distress & the disappointment of many Christians at the gratuitous insult to the Eucharist during the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.”

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, who heads the Vatican think-tank on human life and society, also commented on the “derision and the ridicule of the last supper” during the Olympic ceremony on X. “It reveals a profound question: everyone, truly everyone, wants to sit at that table where Jesus gave his life for all and taught love,” he wrote.

The French bishops were among the first to push back against the “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity” in a statement on Saturday (July 27). “We think of all Christians worldwide who were hurt by the excess and provocation of certain scenes,” they wrote, adding that they hope faithful will see beyond “the ideological biases of a few artists.”

Speaking to OSV News, the special Holy See representative to the 2024 Olympic games, Bishop Emmanuel Gobilliard, said he was “deeply hurt” by the images of the opening ceremony. “It is contrary to the Olympic Charter, to the dimension of unity that is present in its values, to the idea of bringing everyone together, without political and religious demonstrations,” he said.

The news outlet of the Italian bishops, Avvenire, commented on the ceremony in several articles and editorials. “Exaggeration excludes,” wrote Editor-in-Chief Luciano Moia, commenting on the scenes on display at the ceremony.

The Middle East Council of Churches, which includes the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, issued a statement “with a lot of love mixed with astonishment and disapproval,” asking the Olympic organizers to commit to its values of respect and friendship.

“Freedom, diversity, and creativity are not compatible with insulting the beliefs of others, nor with mocking them, in ways that have nothing to do with human equality,” the statement read.

The Drag Queen performance highlighted during the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, which depicted Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” has resulted in backlash from Christians, including notable pastors and Christian influencers. 

Although the performance’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, has claimed his inspiration for the segment was not “The Last Supper,” producers of the ceremonies said otherwise.

A statement obtained by TheWrap said, “For the ‘Festivities’ segment, Thomas Jolly took inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting to create the setting. Clearly, there was never an intention to show disrespect towards any religious group or belief.”

The producers continued by saying that Jolly is not the “first artist to make a reference to what is a world-famous work of art. From Andy Warhol to ‘The Simpsons,’ many have done it before him.”

RELATED: Being Offended by Offensive Things Is Good, Actually

Another spokesperson apologized for any offense the performance caused. “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The Opening Ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance,” said Anne Descamps during a press conference. “We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.”

Jolly said the segment was an “interpretation of the Greek god Dionysus [that] makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings.”

“The idea was to create a big pagan party in link with the god of Mount Olympus, and you will never find in me, or in my work, any desire of mocking anyone,” Jolly added.

Regardless, critics have compared side-by-side images of the segment, and it bears a striking resemblance to da Vinci’s painting.

The performance displayed people in drag, dancing and singing on a long table-like runway. One performer, who was painted all blue, dressed as the main meal.

RELATED: ‘It’s a Slippery Slope’—Allen Parr Discusses Whether Christians Should Boycott the Olympics

Following the performance, Leslie Barbara Butch, a French DJ and lesbian activist who was the center of segment, posted an image of the performance next to an image of “The Last Supper” on Instagram and said, “Oh Yes! Oh Yes! The New Gay Testament.”

Gateway Church is launching a formal search for a new senior pastor in the wake of the resignation of founder Robert Morris following allegations that he committed child sexual abuse. Elder Tra Williams gave congregants several updates Sunday, some of which had already been published in the media last week.

“I’m going to update you today on where we are right now, where we’re going for the next six months, and what our long-term plans are,” Williams told the Gateway Church congregation prior to a message from Pastor Max Lucado.  

“We felt it was important to communicate to our staff first. Rather than send you a video announcement, we thought it would be better to do it in person, so thank you for allowing that,” Williams explained as the congregation responded with applause. He thanked people for their patience and acknowledged that some might be frustrated when “sometimes we have lacked clarity in our communications. So we understand your frustrations and ask for your continued grace.”

Later, Williams said the elders wanted to prioritize hearing from God “even at the expense of speedy communication.”

Gateway Church Says Farewell to James and Bridgette Morris

Gateway Church is dealing with fallout from allegations a woman named Cindy Clemishire made in mid-June. Clemishire said that Gateway’s founding Pastor Robert Morris sexually abused her in the 1980s starting when she was 12 years old and Morris was in his 20s. 

RELATED: Cindy Clemishire Says Oprah Helped Her Realize Robert Morris’s Alleged Actions Were Abuse

Gateway elders initially responded to Clemishire’s allegations by saying that Morris had already previously acknowledged “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” in his 20s and that he had done everything necessary to repent of that sin and be restored.

On June 18, Gateway elders announced that they had accepted Morris’s resignation and that they had not previously understood the “inappropriate” relationship to have been abusive.

They said they would be conducting an investigation into events within the timeframe Clemishire gave for the alleged abuse.

In a statement obtained by CBS Texas last week, Gateway revealed that Morris’s son, James, would be stepping down as associate pastor and that James’s wife, Bridgette, would be stepping down as executive pastor. James had been the intended successor of his father.

YouTuber Allen Parr recently answered the question, “Should Christians boycott the Olympics?” After a controversial Opening Ceremony in France, offended Christians are wondering what the best next steps are.

“Be careful not to push your own personal convictions on someone else and make it a law to say, ‘Because I feel this way, then all Christians should and everybody needs to join me,'” argued Parr.

Allen Parr Offers Christians Words of Wisdom as They Decide To Watch—Or Boycott—The Olympics

Allen Parr has offered his thoughts and biblical research on various life topics such as AI, false teachings, and Bible history via his YouTube channel, The B.E.A.T. (Biblical Encouragement And Truth).

This time, Parr didn’t take the time to record in his studio. Instead, he was standing outside of a local sandwich shop to record a quick thought before he grabbed lunch. Because Parr has provided thoughts on how Christians can navigate this fallen world well, he said people had already asked him whether they should boycott the Olympics.

During the 2024 Paris Opening Ceremony, drag performers gave a performance that evoked Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, “The Last Supper,” outraging Christians around the world, who took the performance as a mockery of their beliefs.

According to some reports, the opening ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, denied he had that painting in mind, saying the performance was rather a portrayal of pagan celebrations and Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. However, organizers of the Opening Ceremony have explicitly said that Jolly was indeed inspired by da Vinci’s painting and apologized for causing offense.

“Clearly, there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps said in a public apology. Instead, the performance was attempting to display “community tolerance.”

Parr called boycotting “a slippery slope.” He explained that boycotting what “a few misguided people” do could lead to people canceling quite a few services and streaming apps and even quitting their jobs.

Just because a decision is made from the top of an organization “doesn’t mean that represents every single person in that organization,” Barr said. Barr argued that Christians often react to something that “mocks my faith and therefore throw the whole thing out.”

Instead, Parr said, it’s an “issue of conscience.” He referred to Ephesians 5:11, which states, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

“If you take that literally, then you’re not going to be able to take part in anything that’s going on in the world,” argued Parr.

He then went on to affirm those who are choosing to boycott the Olympics, but he included a caution as well.

A July 26 plane crash in northeast Wyoming claimed the lives of all seven people onboard, including three members of the award-winning gospel quartet The Nelons. The Atlanta-based musicians were on their way to join the Gaither Homecoming Cruise in Alaska.

The three members of the group who died were Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Clark, and their daughter Amber Nelon Kistler. Also killed were Nathan Kistler (Amber’s husband), assistant Melodi Hodges, pilot Larry Haynie, and Haynie’s wife, Melissa.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident, which occurred in a remote location. The crash sparked a wildfire that crews had to suppress.

Shortly before the crash, Jason Clark shared video of the group in Nebraska, saying, “Gaither Homecoming Alaskan cruise. We are on our way.” The last social media posts from The Nelons promote their new single “There’s a Hole in the Heart.”

Surviving Member of The Nelons: ‘God Is Still Good’

Autumn Nelon Streetman, the fourth group member, wasn’t on the plane that crashed. On social media, she expressed sorrow at losing her parents (Jason and Kelly), sister Amber, brother-in-law Nathan, and the other “dear friends” who died.

Nelon Streetman and her husband, Jamie Streetman, had already arrived in Seattle to leave for the cruise. After learning of the crash, they received prayer support from Bill and Gloria Gaither and other musicians.

“Thank you all for the outpouring [of] love you have sent my family,” wrote Nelon Streetman, who said she and her husband are awaiting “our soon-to-be-born baby boy.”

“I’m not sure what lies ahead, I don’t know how to even sing without my family standing by my side but if there’s one thing that I am sure of, is that God is still good,” she added, “even in moments where I feel absolutely weak and not sure how to go on, he’s been faithful and as long as he keeps giving me breath in my lungs I will continue to sing of his goodness.”

The Nelons: ‘A Family of Pure Joy’

The Nelons, who recorded more than 35 albums, were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2016. Jackie Patillo, president of the Gospel Music Association, said the group “will be forever cherished and remembered.”

RELATED: Brandon Lake Leads Dove Awards Nominees With 16 Nominations

Originally known as The Rex Nelon Singers, the group was founded in 1977 by Kelly Nelon Clark’s father, Rex Nelon. Nominated for 35 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, the group won 10. In 1991, they were nominated for a Grammy for Best Southern Gospel Album.

Another North Texas pastor has stepped down amid “events and circumstances.” Cross Timbers Church announced the resignation of senior pastor Josiah Anthony on Sunday. 

Cross Timbers Church is located in Argyle, Texas, roughly 30 miles north of Fort Worth. The church’s executive pastor, Byron Copeland, will step in as the church’s interim lead pastor. 

According to his LinkedIn profile, Copeland was on staff at Texas megachurch Gateway Church in various executive level pastoral positions from 2003 to 2023. 

Anthony had worked as a pastor at Cross Timbers Church since 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile, starting out as a youth pastor and eventually moving through the ranks to become senior pastor in March 2022. 

RELATED: Texas Pastor Known for Work in Community Arrested on 2 Sexual Assault Charges

According to Anthony, the congregation has a weekly attendance of more than 5,000 and employs more than 60 staff members with a $6 million budget. 

According to WFAA, Anthony’s resignation was announced by church elder John Chalk during service on Sunday. The livestreamed video of the sermon has since been removed from the church’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. 

The staff page on the church’s website has also been archived. 

In a statement emailed to ChurchLeaders on Monday, Cross Timbers Church said, “We understand the statement shared yesterday left room for more questions and speculation. As always, we are committed to sharing the truth, and being honest to our congregation.”

“We would like to emphasize that the inappropriate, and hurtful actions of Josiah does not (sic) include any children, physical or sexual interactions or any illegal activity to our knowledge,” the church said.

RELATED: Associate Pastor at Chuck Swindoll’s Stonebriar Community Church Fired for ‘Moral Failure’

During the announcement, as captured by WFAA, Chalk said that “Josiah has been in a prolonged and sustained season of struggle with his emotional and mental health, which has been very painful for him and those around him.”

(RNS) — As video footage of the fatal police shooting of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who lived in Springfield, Illinois, circulates online, many viewers are memorializing her near-final words: “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

Massey initially called 911 from her home on July 6, citing concerns of an intruder. The body-camera footage, which was released Monday by the Illinois State Police, shows sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson shooting Massey in the head following a brief exchange over a pot of hot water. Grayson has since been fired and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery and official misconduct, and the U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into Massey’s death.

According to some faith leaders and scholars, Massey’s near-last words, spoken twice in an even voice to the deputies before her death, carry a spiritual and cultural weight specific to Black church communities.

“Every person raised in a certain kind of black church knows the power and gravity of those words,” Womanist biblical scholar Wil Gafney wrote on her website on Tuesday. “Those are the words to be said when facing the evil that has walked in your door and will soon take your life. It is not a prayer to save one’s life or for God to come down and prevent the flagrant act of violence to come. It is something between a benediction and a malediction, laying bare the wickedness of the soul encased in human skin standing before her.”

In an Instagram Live on Wednesday night, author Austin Channing Brown noted her own “churchy” background before providing context for the rebuke, which she said was not in any way a threat.

“Because white people think they have the corner market on what is normal, we are misinterpreted all the time,” she said.

The phrase has begun to take on a life of its own, becoming “memeified” and posted by faith leaders and others, including Essence Magazine, whose post about Massey and her parting phrase has been shared over 12,000 times on Facebook.

“It’s becoming, whether it’s on T-shirts or bumper stickers, that statement is flowing through everywhere,” said the Rev. T. Ray McJunkins, a pastor at Union Baptist Church in Springfield who has been serving as an informal liaison between Massey’s family and government officials.

McJunkins agreed that the phrase is a cultural one that’s especially common in Black charismatic church contexts. He said it’s typically invoked when something feels out of one’s hands, and certainly when there’s a sense of the demonic.

“We understand and we believe the Bible as it relates to there being power in the name of Jesus,” McJunkins told RNS.

Massey, who leaves behind two children, was a member of Second Timothy Baptist Church in Springfield. The Rev. Cary Beckwith, a pastor at nearby Springfield Grace United Methodist Church, was asked to officiate the July 19 funeral service, which included a sermon on Psalm 46 and a soloist performing Yolanda Adams’ anthem, “The Battle Is the Lord’s.” Several family members who spoke at the service remarked on Massey’s Christian faith.

“The darkness of that day cannot and will not extinguish the light of Sonya Massey,” Beckwith said to the packed funeral home.