War. Violence. Hatred. Anger.
All things I've never really dealt with on a personal basis. Don't get me wrong, I'm aware that war and violence happen and are happening all around us and I know that hatred is sometimes as common as joy in parts of the world (including the US), but in my own little box which conveniently resides in St. Joseph, MO I don't have the slightest clue.
This all occurred to me last night during my 12-minute car ride back from the movie theater. I saw the movie "Zero Dark Thirty" which documents the hunt for and eventual killing of Osama Bin Laden, and I was initially thrilled with the brilliance of the movie. Jessica Chastain showed great emotion, the sound effects of the explosions literally made me jump out of my seat (just ask my comrades...), and the storyline was effectively expressed. But something hit me when I took my exit onto Interstate 29 that I was not expecting- I began to think about the lives of those involved in such awful situations.
I began to view each life individually, from the CIA agents to the Navy SEALS to those involved in terrorism to the civilians being impacted by terrorists, and I became very overwhelmed. Because initially it is so easy for us to build up anger, disgust, perhaps even hatred against those involved in such terrible acts, and I'm not saying that righteous anger against evil is wrong, but all I could think about was how each one of those men and women involved in the murder of countless innocent lives must be so void of love and stripped of joy that they would resort to such evil actions. I will probably never understand their life circumstances: how they were brought up, who they were influenced by, what they were taught to do with their lives. So it's hard for me to grasp this colossal level of hurt and moral destitution. Who am I to say that if I was in the same exact situation and upbringing as them that I would be doing any differently? All I know is that these people need Christ.
The love of God is the only thing that can penetrate the evil barriers hardening the hearts of those involved in terrorism. I am so thankful for the freedom we have in the United States of America and I am in no way undermining the work of the military in its dealing with terrorism, that's not what this is about. I just realized how important it is to pray for our world; I realized how important it is to pray for people, for love, for joy, for God's presence to invade the hearts and lives of those across the Earth so that they might know the grace, glory, mercy, and power of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ so that the evil in this world would be diminished and those involved in such acts as terrorism could find purpose in life rooted in the hope of Christ.
It's so easy for me to crawl back into my little box and pretend like evil doesn't exist in the world. That certainly makes life more comfortable. But scary enough as it is, God didn't call us to live a life of comfort. As Christians, we have the gift of God's love and the gift of feet, hands, and mouths to spread it! For me right now, this means thirty days of constant prayer for those involved in terrorism. That God will work in ways that I can't even imagine and that life change will occur because of it. Our world is in need of Change- let's do it.
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