A Measured Response To Hatred

I am truly terrified that there is a group of people that exist on earth that will behead others in the name of religion. That kind of hate is something for which I have no context

• Yet at the same time I live by Psalm 23, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I wil fear no evil, for you are with me."

News that France retaliated so quickly made my heart jump with a feeling of justice and that any member of a jihadist group that inflicts undeserved terror on the world deserves every sort of pain the free world can exert on them.

• But I'm very deeply challenged by Jesus words,  “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! ... You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

I wrestle very deeply with the issue of accepting 25 000 Syrian refugees into Canada. Any country that so readily opens their doors to people groups who bring with them cultures, connections and belief systems that directly oppose ideologies that the country was founded upon is inviting political & religious conflict. Canada is already fighting religious/political battles in our schools, cities and parliament that would never have been issues had it not been for our immigration practices.

• Yet true religion cares for orphans and widows (James 1:27) and there is no leader i power other tan God has allowed (Rom 13:1).

If I say that I live by faith and the truth in the Bible, it's in the crisis moments that I need to latch onto it even more closely. These are scary days and each of us has emotional responses. We are scared, mad, confused and maybe even ready for vengeance. Yet it's the very moments that I don't feel like having a balanced, truth-filled response to the chaos that it's that much more important.

I'm praying for France.
I'm praying for ISIS
I'm praying for peace and love to reign in this world, and will do whatever I can to be apart of bringing it to my corner of it.