Night of Tragedy, Dawning of Light: The Wedgwood Baptist Shootings

This book has been very tough to read but God has used it to encourage so many. The authors did such a fantastic job of giving the reader a comprehensive understanding of what took place at Wedgwood by weaving numerous eye witness accounts. The picture they provide is very rich and inspiring. I am very grateful for their work and how they tell the world how Christ was proclaimed.

It is sometimes harder to review books that hit close to home, but this book deserves mention. Dr. Dan Crawford did a wonderful job in putting into words what will always be a part of many people's lives. Dan catches the emotion (I did shed a few more tears), the shock,and the triumph in what happened at Wedgwood Baptist Church. To anyone reading this work it helps you to be there on that night with lights flashing and shocked expressions everywhere. Dan's book doesn't seek to mask what occured with platitudes and theories. The book tells it like it was, and what is the "Hope" that keeps Wedgwood Baptist Church going. Night of Tragedy, Dawning of Light accurately records the coming together of a community, and the reassurance that God can take the worst and turn it for good. It may not be the easiest book to read in terms of the emotions it evokes, but it is well worth the effort.

It's hard to forget the image when you turn on the news and see a mass shooting like the ones at Columbine High School or at the Jewish community center in Los Angeles. But, when you see it happen in your own community and in a church of your denomination, it makes it far worse. Dan Crawford does an excellent job over more than 375 pages detailing not only the destruction that Satan wrought on God's house at Wedgwood Baptist Church, but more importantly, shows the victory that only God is capable of providing. There are points where I got very angry, points where I cried, but at the end, I was reminded that Satan has already been defeated and our Lord has the victory. That's the true story of Sept. 15, 1999.

The Wedgwood Church shooting was a tramatic event for any evangelical church member because it eliminated one of the last safe zones for individuals and particularly for teenagers. Dr. Crawford's historical treatise captures the emotions of the events, those close to the tragedy, and the response of the entire world. This book should be read by anyone interested in current event history. The book contains the most complete record of events and is written in a very inviting style.