the only person left in the room

photo-1444047427283-88a67f631b3eAllow me a moment of total transparency: one night last week I got really mad at my spouse. I was really mad.

Earlier in the evening we were working through a challenging conflict with one of our sons. The son was not complying with our expectations. The situation was also not unfolding nor progressing in a positive way. It was frustrating, hard, and no fun for any of us.

As the conflict continued in absence of an immediate, foreseeable solution, my son left the room and my spouse and I pressed on with the dialogue. Yet with my son no longer present, I turned my frustration toward the only person left in the room: my loyal, loving spouse.

Oh, right. He wasn’t responsible. But in the moment, that didn’t matter to me. He hadn’t fixed the problem, even if my frustration wasn’t his fault. Still, it did not matter; I was really mad. I wanted the conflict to go away. So I justified my anger — no matter at whom it was directed.

Last week’s San Bernardino shooting was another gut-wrenching heartbreak. Once again, persons connected with militant Islamic ideology justified the intentional killing of innocent others. Across the country, we then reacted in different ways with different words, thoughts, passions, and stabs at solution. One aspect was obvious: the clear majority of us want the violence to stop. We want it to stop.

Chew on that for a moment… Whether an individual reaction manifested itself in a loquacious Facebook rant, a scathing newspaper editorial, or a call for increased legislation or military action, the bottom line is the same: we want the violence to stop. The repeated proclamation that “enough is enough” is a call for the innocent, evil killing to come to an end.

It is important, friends, to remember that we are not each other’s enemy. We are not the ones doing the killing. As much as we may disagree as to what to call the terror or what needs to be done to either diminish or eliminate the threat, it is truer still that we are not the enemy. We are not responsible for this evil exhibition.

And yet, we sometimes forget that. We forget that we are not responsible.

That glaring forgetfulness was obvious in last week’s New York Daily News. (Granted, it’s a paper struggling with declining readership, but…) In their sensationalized front page, they headlined the news with: “God Isn’t Fixing This.” Their subtitle read: “As latest batch of innocent Americans are left lying in pools of blood, cowards who could truly end gun scourge continue to hide behind meaningless platitudes.” They then featured multiple presidential candidates encouraging us to pray for the victims in California.

Then, too, came the flurry of copycat comments and proclamations — such as Gene Weingarten’s tweet from the Washington Post: “Dear ‘thoughts and prayers’ people: Please shut up and slink away. You are the problem, and everyone knows it”… or even the senator from Connecticut’s tweet: “Your ‘thoughts’ should be about steps to take to stop this carnage. Your ‘prayers’ should be for forgiveness if you do nothing — again”… or Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos: “How many dead people did those thoughts and prayers bring back to life?”… and still more who suggested we stop saying that “our thoughts and prayers are with you,” because as the rhetorical chorus imposed, our prayers aren’t working.

I have many sobering thoughts. Let me pose a simple, small few…

First, we are not divine beings; none of us are omniscient enough to know if or how our prayers are working. All we can conclude is that the violence has not stopped; no man can accurately discern the effect of the prayers.

Second, we must continue to remember that the clear majority of us — whether we lash out or stay silent — are disturbed at the violence. There is no need to judge the person who responds differently. We want the same thing; we want the violence to end.

And finally, when in our disgust, we turn our angst toward the sincere prayer of another — instead of focusing on the actual enemy — we resemble the conflict with my son and my spouse. We are yelling at “the only person left in the room.”

Remember that “the only person left in the room” is not the one responsible.

Respectfully… always…
AR

“those”

photo-1439761414027-4f4ebeeda3a3Another week. Another shooting.

And so I sit at my laptop, soberly scrapping the thoughts originally penned for today’s post, knowing another topic takes greater priority, as our heads and hearts are focused elsewhere.

But my heart hurts when focusing there. Horrific, senseless tragedies hurt.

Oh, wait… I hear “those” already. “Those” are the “I’m-mad-as-hell-and-not-going-to-take-it-anymore” crowd… I get it. I don’t want to take it any more either.

In all sincerity, it’s challenging to respond to part of this crowd — not because they aren’t well-intentioned — I believe they are; like the rest of us, they want the violence to stop. Their “loudness” is in obvious response to how much these senseless tragedies hurt. But when a person is “mad-as-hell” about gun violence yet calm and cool regarding mass beheadings and Islamic terrorism, I find the messaging inconsistent and thus hard to adhere or respectfully respond to.

There are another set of “those”… “those” who get immediately, completely all riled up over San Bernardino, but are still preaching patience in regard to any judgment of the shooter at Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs. Both were inspired by some kind of evil. We can’t justify rushing to judgment in one but reserving it in the other; that’s inconsistent. Again, it’s hard to listen well to inconsistent proclamations.

Here’s the thing…

The most talked about tragedies across the country today are San Bernardino, Planned Parenthood, and Paris — each an instance in which gunmen inspired by evil — or something obviously wrong within them — intentionally killed innocent others. What they each did is awful. The scary part is that these three events sadly only cover the most recent three weeks. The killing will happen again. The killing may be closer to you and me.

And yet… most of us are inconsistent in one or more of the following:

  • Calling people out
  • Rushing to judgment
  • Identifying ideology
  • Offering mercy and grace
  • Advocating a new approach
  • Being specific about who’s at fault
  • Blaming other people

When we are inconsistent, it’s hard to listen well to one another.

My heart hurts. Did I say that already?

God be with the families involved in yesterday’s shooting in San Bernardino. Initial reports are that at least 14 have been killed. Multiple gunmen walked into a state-established medical facility, contracted out to non-profit organizations to serve people with disabilities.

My heart hurts even more.

So could we please stop this “mad-as-hell” thing?

Sorry, but “those” are not helping; “those” are not moving us toward solution… especially, with all due respect, when “those” people are inconsistent.

May God be with us all.

Respectfully…
AR

the exact same spot

photo-1443178371320-d524137f09bfEvery now and then I come across one of those profound “a-ha moments” that causes me to pause, knowing I can’t simply shake it away nor quickly become immersed in something else, so as to miss the striking relevance to current day. Before sharing publicly, let’s first acknowledge the true horror happening in the world; let’s specifically acknowledge the radical, Islamic terror that is piercing any global potential for peace…

ISIS is known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Daesh, or simply Islamic State (IS). They began as an al Qaeda splinter group 11 years ago in Iraq, rebranding themselves 2 years thereafter.

Their stated goal is to create a “caliphate” across Iraq, Syria and beyond; this means a unified federal Islamic government, ruled by an elected head of state or “caliph.” They have been killing countless — murdering the innocent via public executions, crucifixions and other awful, evil acts of violence, as witnessed most recently on the streets of Paris, France.

They have moved into Libya; they are less than 400 miles away from the Italian island of Sicily. Their known stronghold is primarily, currently located across Syria and Iraq — an area in which they control tens of thousands of square miles.

Key to today’s “a-ha” is that Iraq’s second largest city — Mosul — is now also under terrorist control. While the city fell the summer before last, the so-called “fall of Mosul” was considered a significant development in the escalation of the conflict with the terrorists. CBS called it a “heavy defeat”… the Wall Street Journal, a “strategic disaster”… and as one former senior Pentagon official said, “The fall of Mosul was something that we had not anticipated. And the suddenness with which that fall occurred was something that — that was a shock. They seized everything from small arms to light-armored vehicles to anti-aircraft weapons. When terrorists of this kind get their hands on weapons, it was a huge concern to us. I don’t think we truly understood the depth of the problem until the fall of Mosul.”

The fall of Mosul was significant.

Hence, on to my “a-ha”…

Centuries ago there existed a powerful, corrupt city. For 50 years, it was the largest city in the world, as the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. It was destroyed in 612 BC, after an Assyrian civil war. This major Mesopotamian city was known as Nineveh.

Many of us have arguably, unknowingly repeated a story surrounding Nineveh for years. We know it better as the story/scripture/you-name-it about Jonah in the belly of that seemingly very hungry whale. Some believe it; some don’t; that’s not the point. I am struck instead by what happened prior to sea animal’s swallowing.

Remember that the reason Jonah ended up in the ocean was that he was attempting to avoid his divine calling. He was on a ship out to sea that encountered a violent storm; the man was running from God, and God seemingly used multiple angles (and animals — or at least one very big one) to get Jonah’s attention.

What was God imploring Jonah to do?

Go to Nineveh.

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh because Nineveh’s wickedness — or “evil” — had come to God’s attention; he could bear it no more.

Friends, the ruins of Nineveh lie on the eastern bank of the Tigris River. What’s directly across the river?

Mosul.

Mosul now actually includes metropolitan areas on both sides of the Tigris, thereby encompassing the former ancient, evil city.

In Jonah’s account, after the whale incident, Jonah eventually went to the city and proclaimed the need for the people to humble themselves, repent, and turn from their wicked ways.

Fascinating how the need so direly exists once more… in the exact same spot in the world.

Respectfully…
AR

outrageous

IMG_5368While most were returning to some semblance of routine Friday morning, the typical Colorado calm was pierced by a shooter at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs. Two civilians and one police officer died; the gunman is now in custody as the investigation ensues.

This, friends, is wrong.

What I find also fascinating, is the varied, selective, contrasting outrage…

  • There are persons formerly loud about violence who are now silent because the incident took place at a site in which they vehemently disagree with what takes place there.
  • There are persons formerly quiet about Christians killed in Europe and the Middle East who are now loud because it’s at Planned Parenthood.
  • There are persons who want this incident specifically labeled but refuse to be specific in uttering the phrase, “radical Islamic terrorism.”
  • There are persons who want to be sympathetic to other protestors, even when they go too far, but demand zero empathy for a Planned Parenthood protestor.
  • And there are persons who have zero empathy for other protestors, but preach hesitancy before rushing to any judgment in Colorado Springs.

Ah, yes… we are a fickle people. Arguably better put, we are full of contrasts and contradictions… depending on how we feel, how we’re bent, and what bias we have within us… each of us, me included.

In a statement released on Saturday, Pres. Obama said that “enough is enough.”

I agree. However, that’s where our contrasts and contradictions come into play.

What’s “enough” is not just shootings at Planned Parenthood. What’s “enough” is not just a shooting at Fort Hood. What’s “enough” is not just another massacre like Paris. What’s “enough” is not just another person — via the workplace or college campus or Middle East — who feels capable of taking justice into their own hands. What’s “enough” is not another person who is gravely misguided by motive, mental health, ideology, or something.

What is “enough” is the selective acceptance of evil on this planet. Evil is evil is evil. Our problem is that we cannot seem to agree on what evil actually is. And we fight it passionately in some places — based on those bents and bias — but in other places, we either ignore it, downplay it, or greet it with political correctness.

What is evil? How do we define it?

For some, evil is the killing of people at Planned Parenthood; for others, it is the killing of infants inside Planned Parenthood. For still others, it is both. For perhaps still more, it is neither.

The more I wrestle, the more I’m convinced that we define evil differently — or at the very least — we set up some hierarchy of “evils” — as opposed to recognizing that evil is evil is evil.

It’s as if we believe we or the elect or some other human beings are somehow capable of decreeing what exactly is moral and immoral — as if we can proclaim the “profoundly immoral and malevolent.” But we disagree; we don’t know where to start. We can’t agree on what evil is.

Hence, my semi-humble stab — as best as I can discern — is that evil is the absence of good and absence of God. But that’s hard, as we seem to have increasingly more trouble recognizing who God is, what he asks of us, and how we are to treat other people — especially when we disagree.

Respectfully…
AR

that magic school bus (& thanksgiving 2015)

Happy-Thanksgiving-Day[Reprinted by request, with a few edited, current thoughts…]

With Thanksgiving upon us, a day of gratitude and grace, I thought of sharing insight into the many things for which the Intramuralist offers thanks…

For each of you… who encourage me through your readership and sharing.

For my family… who loves me, even at times in spite of me.

For the empty seats at my table this year… reminding me of our hurting hearts but a life well lived. 

For my friends here… who make me laugh and hold me accountable, often having the guts to say what’s hard.

For my friends who got me here… from Indy to Iowa… Purdue to Portland… South Florida, Colorado, and California… who shaped the way I think and encouraged me to grow.

For my faith… which grounds me now and gives me hope for the future.

Yes, there is much.

But my thoughts keep drifting to the one moment of my day years ago, that arguably portrayed the finest reflection of gratitude. It’s a story that keeps life in perspective for me, even though first penned years ago. Shared as first written for Thanksgiving in 2010…

Late each weekday afternoon, I have the privilege of stepping out on the front porch, in anticipation of a small yellow school bus. Each day the routine is the same. He sits in the front left seat, right behind the driver, the last one on his bus of maybe 3 or 4. He sees me as the bus slowly stops, and an instant smile spreads across his face. His wave is neverending, boosted by his seemingly unparalled enthusiasm. It’s like seeing him for the first time in a long time… except I just saw him some 8 hours ago.

Each day my son gets off the bus with a warmth and greeting I’m not sure any of us totally deserve. He makes me feel like the most important person on Earth. At the very least, at that moment, he makes me feel incredibly important to him. He has an amazing set of gifts. I have seen him encourage the elderly, the intelligent, even the alcoholic. There is no end to Josh’s encouragement.

I am often struck by 2 aspects of Josh’s life. One, missing a wall in his heart at birth, he became critically ill, and we wondered if a day like today would ever be realized.

And two, he has Down syndrome. Some people think that makes Josh less gifted or something. I know better. I’ve seen him get off the bus.

So on this day of gratitude and grace, I am thankful for the family, friends, and faith which have so often, so well spurred me on. Hard as it is, I am thankful, too, for those not here. I am thankful to still be growing even though I’m not a kid anymore. And finally, I am thankful God didn’t answer all of my prayers when Josh was born. He gave me something better than I even knew to ask.

Some might question that.

But then again, they’ve probably never seen Josh get off the bus.

In everything, give thanks.

A blessed Thanksgiving to you and your families…

Respectfully…
AR

thanksgiving-worthy

Give-ForgivenessAs we pause to express increased thanksgiving this week — in wake of the U.S. State Dept. issuing a worldwide travel alert late yesterday — it seems a little funny to me to pen some post on some topic — perhaps on how people keep focusing on the specks in others’ eyes without first removing the plank in their own. Pick your topic… ISIS, the Syrian refugees, the political campaigns, the college protestors, or the protestors being angry that Paris stole their perceived spotlight.. really. None seem noble enough to focus upon right here, right now.

I then saw the arrest of an 18 year old young man in Indianapolis yesterday. He faces charges of murder and armed robbery. Follow me here…

On Nov. 10th, at 8:22 a.m., pastor Davey Blackburn returned home from an early morning workout only to find his wife lying unresponsive on the living room floor. She had been shot in the head during a robbery; she died the next morning, after being removed from life support.

Amanda Blackburn, only 28, was also 12 weeks pregnant with the couple’s second child. Her 15 month old son, Weston, was home but not harmed when the murder took place. The scene, the crime… there are few words to describe… it is simply heartbreaking.

And yet today I wish to share her husband’s just, humble, selfless response. This is worth focusing on. This remarkable response is, for lack of better words, “Thanksgiving-worthy”…

“Though it does not undo the pain we are feeling, I was extremely relieved to get the news of the arrest made last night of Amanda’s killer. The investigators have assured me they have a solidly-built case to ensure justice is levied and the process is expedited. The family and I couldn’t be more thankful for the level of compassion and professionalism the IMPD and investigators have shown us through the last couple of weeks. My hope is for 3 things in the weeks and months to come:

(1) That the court system would have wisdom on how to prosecute this man, so that no one else endures the pain Amanda and our family have had to endure because of his actions.

(2) That through all of this and although there will be great consequences for his actions, he would become truly sorry for what he has done and would even begin to experience the life-transforming power of the Grace and Mercy of Jesus Christ.

(3) That Jesus would give me and our family a heart of forgiveness.

Though everything inside of me wants to hate, be angry, and slip into despair, I choose the route of forgiveness, grace and hope. If there is one thing I’ve learned from Amanda in the 10 years we were together, it’s this: Choosing to let my emotions drive my decisions is recipe for a hopeless and fruitless life. Today I am deciding to love, not hate. Today I am deciding to extend forgiveness, not bitterness. Today I am deciding to hope, not despair. By Jesus’ power at work within us, the best is STILL yet to come. Even when I don’t see it, I believe it to be true.”

Here is a man who’s life was changed for the perceived worst in an unexpected instant…
… gut-wrenchingly awful…
… through no fault of his own.

And yet instead of focusing his efforts and energy on any vocal venom directed at who he thought was most responsible — instead of allowing his emotions to drive his decisions — Davey Blackburn focuses on forgiveness, grace, and hope. Yes, this is who a Christian is…

Even when I don’t see it, I believe it to be true.

We could each learn much from Davey Blackburn… we could quit focusing on the planks in others’ eyes; and we could choose a far wiser path… which would include the profoundly beautiful, humble embracing of forgiveness.

His is a story worth sharing.

Respectfully…
AR

dividers

Blank folder with multicoloured index tabs at the bottom ready for your header or text

Love that Amazon Prime!

You, too — especially this time of year — can hop on amazon.com and purchase most anything your heart desires. As I strolled through the site recently in hopes of making an increased dent in this year’s Christmas shopping, I found a unique product… one, perhaps, that many seem to already own — and, have already utilized…

It’s a cheap product… but also, seemingly, fairly popular. I speak of none other than, that one thing that’s certainly on everyone’s shopping lists… those, great…

“BIG TAB INSERTABLE PLASTIC DIVIDERS”!!

Excellent. There’s nothing quite like creative, functional office supplies.

They’re big.
They’re insertable.
They’re plastic.
And they’re dividers.

Allow me, if you will, to acknowledge what dividers do…

They’re big…
… meaning you can see them; they’re noticeable.

They’re insertable…
… meaning they go where you put them.

They’re plastic…
… meaning they’re not real nor organic; they’re artificial.

And they divide…
… meaning they purposely split things apart.

Allow me to say such again for emphasis. Dividers are intentionally inserted into a specific spot. The placement is intentional… purposeful. The division is willingly created.

Friends, one of my greatest frustrations in this day and age is how people play the role of dividers. That means they noticeably, intentionally attempt to split us apart.

It is certainly true that we can’t all agree nor align on all things. It is equally true that we shouldn’t be so divided.

There is no reason to be divided, for example, in our assessment that ISIS is evil and attempting to destroy us; we need to eliminate their threat; we need to care for the American people.

There is no reason, too, to be divided in our assessment that the Syrian refugees need to be cared for; people are in need; we need to help. It is also true we can help here or there, and it’s reasonable to pause prior to welcoming potential, possible terrorists into this country.

It bothers me, friends, when persons attempt to identify the enemy in this world as anything other than the “evil” that exists. To identify Republicans as the enemy… Democrats as the enemy… please…

Any who engages in such is foolish and incorrect.

They also have far too much in common with office supplies.

Respectfully…
AR

on the side of love

welcome-mat-on-doorstepWhich of the following images is most disturbingly etched in your mind?

  • A still shot outside the Bataclan theatre in Paris, where multiple victims of the radical Islamic terrorists lie. Or…
  • A shot of a 3 year old refugee lying still on the shore, as he and his family fatally attempted to flee the terrorists in Syria.

Both are — in a phrase recently articulated here — by all means, awful. How are we to choose between the two? They are equally heartbreaking… equally awful. Each is evident of all that is not good, not true, and not right in this world.

In recent days, sadly, a “whole lot of awful” has entered into our national conversation. Shocked by the evil on the streets of Paris and in the Egyptian air, we feel helpless; we haven’t been able to halt the radical Islamic terrorists who are determined to destroy us. And so in our shock and horror, we react — sometimes positively, sometimes negatively, sometimes respectfully, sometimes not. Predictably, in our efforts to stop this obvious evil, we gasp and grasp for solution, yet we approach it from varied angles. We then are lured into finding something new about which to argue, something fresh that divides, and finding fault in perceived, opposing perspective. The rhetorical battlefront is now how to handle the thousands of Syrian refugees attempting to flee their country’s civil war. Should they stay or should they go?

You will remember the scenario which was magnified late this past summer… Actually beginning in 2011, Syrians began fleeing their country en masse as a means of survival, with over 300,000 refugees crossing into the European Union in the first half of 2015 alone. The story gained increased global attention when the lifeless body of 3 year old Aylan washed up on a Turkish shore. It was awful. The U.S. has thus sent more than $2.9 billion in aid so far, and along with multiple other countries, the U.S. announced we would welcome up to 10,000 refugees here in our land of the free and the brave. Sec. of State John Kerry then later announced that the administration “will increase the number of refugees the United States is willing to accept in 2017 to 100,000.”

In Friday’s horrific incident in Paris, one of the terrorists possessed a passport from Syria. Just yesterday, in fact, Honduras detained 5 Syrian men with stolen Greek passports, reportedly heading for the United States. Hence, many are now concerned that in the mass welcoming of Syrian refugees on American soil, we will also inadvertently welcome some radical Islamic terrorists. Note that the terrorists have vowed to come here. Remember, too, that 9/11 was executed by only 19 men. It is also admittedly difficult, according to FBI director James Comey, to accurately vet the massive number of current refugees.

Let me state the bold, challenging, underlying reality…

Each of the above perspectives — both the laying out and withdrawing of the metaphorical, refugee welcome mat — is a position that may be motivated by compassion. One is moved most by the refugee in need of safety and security; the other is moved most to ensure the American citizen’s safety and security. Both positions — as difficult and challenging as this is for many to see and admit — are valid. Let me say this again: both positions are valid. Both may be motivated by love. We would all like to be on the side of love.

Want to know what gets my goat, so-to-speak?

The person, legislator, or lawmaker — from either perspective — who says, “Side with me. I am right. Those other people don’t know what they’re talking about. They are motivated by the impure. I am looking out for all people. I am the only one motivated by love.”

The reality is that each perspective is looking out for some people. Thus…

  • Can we quit choosing?
  • Can we quit taking sides?
  • And can we quit labeling only one perspective as loving and compassionate?

Impure motives certainly exist on all sides of this equation. These motives include both fear-mongering and political posturing; they do not include caution and alertness. Let me also propose a related tangent that may be included in the impure motives: (1) the desire to portray all Muslims as terrorists — and (2) the desire to ignore the terrorists’ motivation, which is embedded within Islam. It is inaccurate to identify only one side as good and true and right.

Hence, let’s instead find a way to work together, respect opposing perspective, vet the refugees adequately, pause a little, assume some risk, recognize we can’t eliminate all risk, and love all people well… domestic and abroad, both here and there. Let us never be heartless toward any. Let us also quit encouraging a clearly divisive, taking of sides.

Respectfully…
AR

demandingness

60431f5bObviously, there is no bigger topic today than all the ugly that happened in Paris, why it occurred, and how we individually, corporately, and nationally respond. It’s challenging to wrap one’s mind around the killing of the innocent and the motivating evil. While there are moments in my day where the broad scope of the horror is “out of sight/out of mind,” so-to-speak, we cannot escape what happened. We cannot escape the fact that the threat of evil has not been extinguished. We cannot rid ourselves of the probable reality that terror will soon strike again.

Nothing compares to terror.
Nothing compares to evil.
Let me be clear.

I’m still struck by what dominated the news flow the week prior. Those silly red cups (although I now believe there were more upset about the uproar than actually involved in the uproar)… the pitfalls and perceived positives of socialism… Donald Trump’s latest loquacious soliloquy… and what was happening on the college campus. Oh, the college campus… Amid the weekend tragedy, we have omitted extended conversation about the current movement on college campuses across the country.

Before I say more, let me repeat what was briefly articulated above:

Nothing compares to terror.
Nothing compares to evil.
Let me be clear.

Prior to the explosions that rocked our world — and perhaps most significantly, rocked the peace and comfort of our daily lives, finally getting our attention in regard to the evil of ISIS and their adherence to the violence encouraged in the latter chapters of the Qur’an — there was quite the conversation on college campuses across the country.

After initial protests at the University of Missouri and Yale in regard to racial relations, the movement morphed into a question of free speech. What is allowed to be said? What is not? The conversation gained attention and intensity after the VP of the Missouri Student Association said in an interview with MSNBC that she was personally tired of hearing that first amendment rights protect students when they are creating a hostile and unsafe learning environment.” Missouri students were also encouraged to call police if they heard any “hateful and/or hurtful speech.” [Emphasis mine.]

Just a reminder, according to the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, we are guaranteed the freedom of speech. While there exist some limits on that freedom — such as “falsely shouting fire in a crowded theater” — there is no law against unpopular opinion or distasteful advocacy. People’s feelings do not trump people’s rights.

I think what’s challenging for each of us is how to deal with those whose speech we find insulting. There are a lot of people who say a lot of things that I personally find incredibly inappropriate. Whether that be those who call for the killing of police, the killing of any innocent, or the picketing at a military funeral, I typically find their words to be disrespectful and by all means, awful.

I also respect their right to say what they feel. My then chosen response is to not validate them via my attention.

What becomes further challenging for us, though, is because we do feel a certain way, we sometimes become demanding instead of withholding our attention. We demand that those insulting us be silenced; we demand that their words be squelched. The embedded dilemma within such demands is that we are trumping feelings over rights.

Friends, activism is not a dirty word. Vigorously campaigning to bring about desired change is an activity that can make sense at the right time, right place, and in the right way. However, when activism turns into “demandingness” — when what we want and feel trumps all rights of another — that’s concerning. We can’t see anything but our own angle, passion, and opinion.

Seeing only our own angle, sensing only our own passion, and thus prioritizing our feelings can be a dangerous thing.

Respectfully…
AR

peace, violence, & evil

photo-1444388204584-7d0da8506291To think that last week we were talking about polarizing red cups and football uniforms is a little embarrassing today. Witnessing the horror in the streets of Paris wakes us up.

I think it’s vital that what happened is not watered down in any way. I think it is equally vital that relevant facts are not omitted due to motivations of political correctness, sensitivity, etc. If we will not acknowledge who, what, and why it happened, then we will not wrestle with this well…

At least 129 innocent people died at the hands of evil, Islamic terrorists; over 300 more were injured. Sorry to be so blunt; these men were motivated by evil. As one man I’ve long respected said, “Oh, how deceived you are, to think that you can pave your way to paradise with blood from ‘infidels.’ ” Let us continue by being more blunt, no less…

Some say Islam is a religion of peace. Others claim it to be a religion of violence. Both are actually true.

There are two very different aspects to Islam. The early chapters (or “suras”) of the Qur’an — the compilation of Muhammad’s teachings after his death — are more about peace; whereas, the later suras are more about violence. The hostility, violence, controlling nature, and forceful missionary zeal of Islam (“accept Islam or suffer,” for example) developed in Muhammad’s later teachings, especially after he had some significant negative encounters with Jews.

Across the globe, in places where Muslims are more in the minority (such as North America and Europe), Muslims tend to follow the earlier suras — the more peaceful chapters — but where they are in the majority (such as in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc.), Muslims tend to follow the later, more violent suras.

Hence, the claim that Islam is a religion of peace may be true. Equally true is the assertion that Islam is a religion of violence. ISIS — and the 8 men who mercilessly murdered the men and women in France Friday night — are obviously adherers to the latter chapters of the Qur’an.

Note: these men were not mentally ill. They were not deranged nor drugged up, that we know.

They also were not Jewish nor Christian nor any other organized faith. It is both inane and illogical for any to liken all organized religion to what these evil men did. They killed the innocent because, as said in an online statement, Paris is “the carrier of the banner of the Cross in Europe.”

They added, “Let France and those who walk in its path know that they will remain on the top of the list of targets of the IS”… “and that the smell of death will never leave their noses as long as they lead the convoy of the Crusader campaign.”

The problem is not world religion. The problem is not Judaism, Christianity, nor any other belief system associated with God-honoring, Judeo-Christian values.

 The problem is evil. 

So how do we wrestle with evil? Great question. Sobering, too.

We can’t simply sit down with evil men and ask/order them to stop. Their motivation is not ours; they do not wish for peace. They do desire unity — but only as the different are destroyed. The grave reality is that evil is incredibly difficult — and arguably impossible — to humanly contain and control. I get the stern responses promising justice and revenge. I am just uncertain that such is fully effective.

So what can we do?

I solemnly see no more effective response than falling to our knees — individually and corporately — admitting our inability and brokenness, humbly asking for the good Lord to intervene.

Respectfully…
AR