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Terrible Things ...

Friday, Jan 9, 2015. How do we react to the events which took place at France over the past days? Twelve members of the Charlie Hebdo magazine have been killed, supposedly by islamists. What to think? What to feel? What to do?

We cannot stay neutral! …

We are shocked. The terror, which has been active now for many years in the near east, in Syria, in many Islamic countries, has now found its victims in the middle of Paris. Death has reached us directly, in the middle of Europe, in our own world.

Of course, it is not a new terror. It is the old terror, which has been killing for many years in Pakistan, in Irak, in Egypt, and in many other countries. We cannot separate ourselves from this terror. It is an illusion to think, we might be save in the west, and to ignore the problems in the near east, in Africa, in many parts of our world!

It seems clear that we need to be engaged. All of us need to be engaged. Christians also need to be engaged, need to speak up. We need to fight for freedom of speech, for freedom of belief, for freedom from violence and suppression. Islamists want a totalitarian state, which will not allow any of these. We cannot stay neutral.

The bible calls to peace …

The bible calls us to peace. It calls us to repay evil with good. It calls us to help, to do what is honorable. Of course, there will be justice for those who commit crimes. We are called to fully support a legal system which punishes those who hurt others. Let us look into what the Apostle Paul writes to us in Romans:

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12, 9-21)

Let us do all this. And let us talk to our Muslim fellow humans everywhere in the world, to establish the freedom of religion in their own states. To open their press to the freedom of speech. To let people participate in their governmental systems, to have at least some type of democratic participation.

Dear friends and respected enemies! God bless you strongly. Well-being and honour and prosperity and peace be with you. We need to talk. We cannot stay neutral! (RWEP) ... more texts