I asked a French brother how he felt about the terror attack on Nice, 14 July 2016 (Bastille Day).
His response:
While I'm truly grateful that no one I know has died or even been hurt, so many people have been injured and killed -- adults and children alike. This is a profoundly sad time for me and our country.
It's also challenging to be Christ-like. Jesus taught us to love our enemies. He told us to pray for them, not to "pray for those who protect us." As kingdom Christians, what are we wishing/praying for our enemies? Are we selective as to whom we wish good?
As for Islam, it's tempting to jump to conclusions. Not all Muslims support violence. Some are struggling to adapt to the modern mindset that militancy for the promotion of religion has been outmoded and is rejected by most of the human race. Others unfortunately do not share this attitude.
I'm thinking also about media, and social media in particular. What transpires of our heart and attitude through social media? Sadness and consternation are right when hatred attacks innocent people. But I'm making a particular effort at pointing to hope, and only verified facts that build up. I don't want to hurt the sensitivity of the saved and unsaved who believe in peace, or even work for it. We should set the right example by our attitude. "Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness" (James 3:18).
One more thing. It's good to be aware of world events, but I feel I should use this knowledge to make walls fall and conquer hearts, not just pray for the problem to go away. This means a kingdom view of world events, not a nationalistic one. It's so easy to go with the flow, blending in by "supporting our troops," forgetting that usually whenever there's a military action, innocent and guilty alike suffer dearly.
Love from France,
Christian Arbogast
