It's so heartbreaking to look through the list of victims of the carnage in Paris. Even more heartbreaking somehow when faces were put to those names. They were normal people on the streets just like you and me. They were living, breathing, warm-blooded humans with loved ones, with dreams and ambitions, with stories.

I really do have some of the most ungodly thoughts about those terrorists after I read about what happened :( sigh terrorism really brings out the worst in people. And I must say... it's so, so easy to hate and wish the most excruciating pain and punishment and death upon the cold-blooded men wielding those weapons of murder. The ruthless, barbaric men who tore savagely through the fabrics of humanity or any semblance of love and morality. It's hard (and illogical) for anyone's first instinct and reaction to something as sickening as this to NOT be hate. Honestly, I'm OUTRAGED.

But I guess sometimes we tend to be blinded by these and forget that they're not our true enemy. I know I definitely do. The ones who carried out the killings are merely instruments used for evil, and all of these are really driven by something much bigger and much more sinister. These people are but victims themselves to the devil. And gosh, it's so hard to see it that way, it really is, when I think about the hundreds of innocent people who were critically injured and died at their hands in pools of blood... but I'm trying. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

How should a Christian respond to terrorism? — This was written right after 911, but it certainly still applies :)

The Christian response is always to look for the fingerprints of God in every situation. The New York City and Washington D.C. disasters were devastating—as well as the on-going war on terror—but let's seek opportunities to bring hope and forgiveness, help and grace, in the midst of that devastation. Let's seize every opportunity to speak of God's love and man's need. Let's do the work of an evangelist, a comforter, a friend. Let's respond as Christians should; let's respond with God's love and care.

#2 The Bible says that we are not to take punishment into our own hands but to defer vengeance to God through legitimately established governments.

Again the apostle Paul:

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil" (Romans 12:17)
"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath" (Romans 12:19).

The Bible teaches that vengeance belongs to God because only He knows perfectly the hearts of men and only He can temper vengeance and justice.

"It is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." (Romans 12:19).
"It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip" (Deuteronomy 32:35).
"It is mine to avenge; I will repay" (Hebrews 10:30)
"The Lord is a jealous and avenging God... The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished" (Nahum 1:2-3).

God's vengeance is ultimate vengeance when He shall judge all mankind. But as seen above, He vests legitimate governments with the responsibility of being His present agents of vengeance, not individual citizens.

CONCLUSION: While it is the right and the responsibility of our government to respond nationally and militarily to these terrorist attacks, it is not our individual right to respond. It is equally unlawful and unconscionable that US citizens would retaliate out of anger against those with Arabic or Middle Eastern surnames or faces. God and those legitimately established governments have the responsibility for vengeance and retaliation, not citizens of the state.

#3 The Bible says that the way to overcome evil is not through personal retaliation or hatred but through personal good and compassion.

One more time the apostle Paul:

"Do not be overcome by evil" (Romans 12:21)
"Overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21)
"He who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law" (Romans 13:8)

Add to this the words of Jesus:

"Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:39)

And read what the psalmist David said:

"Do not fret because of evil men" (Psalm 37:1)
"Trust in the Lord and do good" (Psalm 37:3)
"Do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes" (Psalm 37:7)
"Refrain from anger and turn from wrath" (Psalm 37:8)
"Do not fret-it leads only to evil" (Psalm 37:8)

David, Paul and Jesus understood God's command to Moses:

"Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:18).

Undoubtedly during these days of anger and rage we will hear people quote God's Word inappropriately. Many appeal to the so-called "imprecatory psalms" (Psalms 35, 59, 69, 109, etc.) to justify retaliation. But these psalms were not motivated by personal revenge. Behind these cries for justice was the recognition of a divine moral governance in the world and a call for God to exercise judgment as well as grace. While the psalmists were aware of the constant battle between good and evil, they had no concept of the future judgment where God will punish those who take the lives of innocent people and reward those who live godly lives. The only justice they could conceive was the "here and now" justice. We can see far beyond that.

Let's show the world in these desperate days what the love of God is like. Let's be a voice for calm in an atmosphere of hatred and retaliation. Let's be men and women of prayer, both for those who victimized and those who were their victims.

It's understandable to be angry but yes, we really should channel all these negative feelings to God in the form of positive prayers instead. Someone said this in an online comment: "this is not an emotional, feel good, wishing and hoping reaction born of naiveté, but an intentional, powerful choice."

And hey this is actually quite helpful for my own personal growth haha. Because I admit I'm quite a vindictive person :/ as much as I genuinely try my very best to forgive and forget and embrace all wrongs done to me with complete, selfless love. I have incredibly strong feelings about injustice, and I do feel that some people in this world do not deserve a second chance and should be harshly, harshly persecuted. Sometimes I shock myself, even, with the extent of pain and suffering I've ever wished upon people who indulge in inhumane acts and bestial monstrosities. And then I feel bad and stop. I would say I'm usually pretty tolerant and it takes quite a lot to get me truly angry, but when I do, I sometimes get so overwhelmed with rage that I think or say things I really shouldn't, things that are ungodly, and things I should really repent to God about :( And I'm not proud of this at all. So... this helps. I need to have less of these negative feelings and more conversations with God. A heart with hate/anger has no room for love - this much I know for sure. Doesn't mean we condone all evildoings, it simply means we overcome them with and through God.

So I pray for peace to return to our mad world. I pray for God and His righteousness and all the good things He stands for to enter and fill the hearts of those overcome by the strong wicked forces at work, to change them and help them repent and turn to God. I pray for God to give all victims of this attack (and victims of attacks everywhere else in the world) boundless strength and power to face these terrible trials bravely and fiercely.

I guess praying is the only thing we can and should do now as individuals in the face of all these. It's probably also the most powerful thing on earth. More powerful than hatred, more powerful than anger, more powerful than personal vengeance. This fallen world we live in today is a battlefield, but "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds." (2 Corinthians 10:4) And our God is a God of justice, so we will win this war.

Labels: God, love, terrorism