The death toll is high in Paris, in what has been (if media reports are accurate) a series of multiple terror attacks (even though no group has officially claimed responsibility thus far).
How do we respond as Christians?
I will share some suggestions because I believe there are things Christians can and must do to respond to this.
1st. Pray. Pray for the families. Pray for France. Pray for Muslims (yes you are reading correctly). And pray for those who are our enemies. That’s a uniquely Christian thing to do—to pray for all, including our enemies. It’s not easy, but it is our calling. Luke 6:27 & 28
2nd. Love the hurting. Most of us are not in Paris, but we know that Christians are there, along with others, loving those who have lost so many. And, even from where we sit, we can love the French and “weep with them that weep” (Romans 12:15). It was the French newspaper LeMonde that said in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, “We are all Americans now.” Well, today, we are all Parisians.
3rd. Love our enemies. That is what makes our faith unique. This is an attack on all of humanity. When we let that sink in, love isn’t our first natural feeling. But love is what we are called to anyway. Matthew 5:43-45
That response can be hard to come by. We have to consider our own tendencies, and be ready to flee from temptation. Fresh memories come back, and strong feelings rise to the surface. It’s not enough to just give lip service to what we should be doing. We also have to commit to what we should be resisting.
There are at least three things we should NOT do as Christians.
1st. Not hate. That’s what our human nature wants to do. We feel pain, We feel anger, We remember what it feels like to be under attack. And some of us may even worry about people we know who live in France. All these emotions, especially together, can lead our souls to some troubling places. But as Christians the truth is, we are people who live with hope and a mission. We cannot hate a people and reach a people at the same time. As we pray, we must pray for our own hearts to be protected from hate.
2nd. Not take out anger on refugees. This incident certainly reminds us of the importance of security in immigration, and terrorists may very well try to infiltrate such refugees. But among these people are those just trying to live and protect their families. If we start placing blame, and drawing quick conclusions, then we are saying that innocent people should have been denied protection. The gospel frees us to always be people of compassion.
3rd. Not call for a war with Islam. Let me first give the disclaimer that. I do not think that interfaith cooperation is helpful. I do not believe that Muslims and Christians pray to the same God. I believe that ALL people need Jesus, including Muslims, Hindus, and atheists. I want to see Muslims come to Christ (even if they want to win me to Islam). And, we can’t do that by going to war with a billion people. And it is worth saying – There are plenty of people who profess to be Muslims who are not terrorists (Don’t be so lazy to assume that the worst of a group represents the entire group). Too many people make decisions about a group based on what they see on television news. Perhaps a better idea is to meet them, learn about them and treat them as your neighbor.
I must add …
It is not enough for Muslims to point out that these people do not represent the religion. Even if they don’t, Muslims need to take more active measures to protest these heinous acts. They also need to make sure that Muslim countries and societies do not in any way condone extremism, anti-modern attitudes and intolerance towards other faiths.
As we engage Muslims, we do not want, nor should we seek, to pretend that we are on the same path. We are not – Christians and Muslims both want to convert one another. Times like these are filled with emotion, and that is normal. But let’s make sure that our response is more tempered by the fruit of the spirit.
I will continue to pray for Muslims, while always seeking to reach them with the gospel that saves. Here is a short prayer that may help you if words seem hard to come by.
Heavenly Father, Almighty God, I pray today for the people of Paris, that your presence would be seen and felt among them, and that your healing power would be at work. I pray for those who are fighting for life, and for all those who’ve lost someone they love, that you would even now begin the process of strengthening and restoring them. I pray for ourselves, that you’d show us how to respond, how to support, how to show kindness and love, and how to continue to hope in the midst of such devastating news. And most of all Lord, in a world where anger, war and hatred are often so prevalent, we pray that your Kingdom would come, Your will be done. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Jason Dorsett 