Readings: Romans 12:14-21
Image: France Demonstrations Against Terrorism Following Charlie Hebdo
Quotes:
“France’s deadliest terrorist attack in modern memory unfolded with chilling precision here Wednesday as gunmen speaking fluent French burst into a satirical newspaper’s weekly staff meeting and raked the room with bullets, leaving behind what one witness described as ‘absolute carnage.’” –From Washington Post article on January 7th, 2015.
“The Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris was a watershed moment in the war on terrorism in two ways. First, it’s almost impossible to pin the murders on anything but blind adherence to religious faith. The murderers, like many Muslims, believed that making fun of or even depicting their prophet Muhammad is a capital offense. Why else would the terrorists target Charlie Hebdo instead of, say, French government offices? The religious motivation directly contradicts the many apologists who blame Islamic terrorism on the West as a reaction by the oppressed to colonialism. What has changed with this tragedy is people’s willingness to recognize that religion really does make people do terrible things.” –Jerry A. Coyne in article “Pope Francis Is Wrong About Charlie Hebdo…“
“As a matter of fact, Christians recognize that Jesus Christ himself suffered insults and blasphemy on our behalf. Further, Christ deterred the church from pursuing violence when he told Peter to put his sword away. Christ did not revile those who blasphemed him by calling for violence, but rather he accepted the blasphemy as part of the suffering he was called to endure. That is a stunning difference between blasphemy in the Christian worldview and the understanding of blasphemy in the Islamic worldview.” –Al Mohler in “Theological Extremism in a Secular Age“
Four “R’s” for Healthy Response to Evil
REFRAIN from casting judgement
REMEMBER Jesus’ sacrifice
REMEDY evil with good
Let REVENGE be God’s.