MONTSERRADO COUNTY, LIBERIA, OCTOBER 3, 2024 – Bishop Kortu Brown has warned that the continued killing of innocent people could result in severe hardships across the country and must be stopped. Speaking at the morning prayer meeting of the New Water in the Desert Assembly Apostolic Pentecostal Church in Brewerville, Montserrado County, on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, Bishop Brown drew from the Bible’s Second Samuel, Chapter 21, verses 1-7, to emphasize the consequences of shedding innocent blood.
He referenced the famine that plagued Israel for three years due to the actions of King Saul, who had killed innocent people in violation of a covenant made 500 years prior by Joshua, the military commander of Israel, in Joshua Chapter 9. Bishop Brown remarked, “God disapproved of King Saul’s actions because he unjustly took the lives of people whom Joshua had promised to protect.”
Quoting the biblical passage, Bishop Brown shared: “During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years. So, David sought the face of the LORD, and the LORD said, ‘It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death’” (2 Samuel 21:1). Bishop Brown explained that under King David’s rule, Israel endured three years of food shortages, which caused immense suffering for ordinary people. Deeply concerned, David sought divine guidance, and God revealed the cause of the hardship and the person responsible.
Seeking the Root Cause of Hardship
Unlike many leaders today, Bishop Brown noted, King David was genuinely concerned about finding the root cause of the hardship his people were facing. He sought answers rather than simply assigning blame. Bishop Brown added, “2 Samuel, Chapter 21, begins with a famine that lasted over three years during the early years of King David’s reign. The prolonged famine prompted David to ask God why this was happening in his kingdom. God’s response pointed to the broken covenant by Saul, who had killed the Gibeonites. The matter needed to be corrected.”
Bishop Brown then asked, “Are we, as a people, truly seeking answers to the challenges we face? Are we trying to understand why the killing of innocent people continues in our society without resolution?” He questioned why a country founded on Christian principles—such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control—seems to have lost those values.
The former president of the Interreligious Council of Liberia continued, “Why do we now believe that morality is no longer necessary for governing the state? Why has it become acceptable for people to act or speak irresponsibly without consequence?”
Identifying Those Responsible for Hardships
Bishop Brown pointed out that in any accountable and lawful society, there is a need to identify the root cause of hardships affecting ordinary people. He drew parallels to the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis Chapter 4, where God confronted Cain after he killed his brother, saying, “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10). Initially, Cain tried to evade responsibility, but God revealed the truth, compelling Cain to confess.
“When King David sought God’s guidance on the famine in Israel, God clearly revealed the cause and identified who was responsible,” Bishop Brown continued. “Why, then, can’t we find the murderers of innocent people in our society? Many investigations into these tragic deaths remain inconclusive. When will we know who is responsible for the deaths of people like Rev. William Tolbert III, Charloe Musu, Precious Cooper, and many others who were murdered in their homes without justice? Who is responsible for the hardships we face as a nation?”
Call for Action and Accountability
Bishop Brown called on the Liberia National Police and the Ministry of Justice to step up efforts to find those responsible for the many gruesome murders that have plagued the country. “Do not allow the blood of innocent people to be on your hands,” he urged.
God Knows the Killers
The bishop warned that those involved in the killing of innocent people—whether through physical violence, witchcraft, envy, hatred, or revenge—cannot escape God’s judgment. “God knows who they are, and they will not go unpunished,” he said. Bishop Brown reminded Liberians of the societal and national consequences of such heinous acts and urged them to resolve misunderstandings through lawful means, emphasizing the importance of the rule of law.
