Perhaps today we should just “weep with those who weep” in Orlando. Or maybe we should be urged to weep, because by tomorrow or Wednesday for most of us the slaughter’s horror will have dissipated. Mass shootings have become almost commonplace. And the investigative accounts of the killer’s identity, family life, motivation, etc. seem the same old story.
I listened to President Obama, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, as well as a few “lesser” politicians comment. Sadly familiar. If ever a sign that we live in a fallen, evil world, this is it—not just the shootings, but the responses. Know the identity of the politician before he or she speaks, you know what he or she will say. We call it “politics”; but it really is ideology. (“A system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy”–Oxford Dictionaries).
The ideologues who theorize guns are the problem push for tougher (“common sense”) gun laws. Those who theorize our defense is insufficient push for banning Muslims from the country or stronger police presence. I’m not qualified to speak specifically on any of these “pushes.” I do agree with the mostly unheard voices who argue that Radical Islam is at war with America—except I would add, “and at war with the non-Sharia Muslim world.
When Jesus predicted, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6), I understand him to mean that generation leading up to 70 A.D. when Rome finally crushed Jerusalem. But I also take him to mean “double fulfillment”; that is, wars as part of “birth pains” (Matthew 24:8) will mark these last days leading up to the Last Day. And, though far different from the tactics of our two world wars, Jesus certainly included this Radical Islamist war.
In World War 2, Hitler held an ideology—broadly, the superiority of the Aryan race. We beat it with bombs, as today’s war necessitates. But understanding the enemy and his ideology is necessary too. How can we not realize our attackers are not “lone wolves” or “isolated crazies”? Radical Islam intends, in the name of Allah, to take over the world. Tightening airport security will not defeat demonic worldview.
“The Clarion Project” (http://www.clarionproject.org/understanding-islamism/islamic-extremism) provides an informative introduction to Radical Islam Ideology . . .
Islamic extremism is driven by an interpretation of Islam that believes that Islamic law, or sharia, is an all-encompassing religious-political system. Since it is believed to be proscribed by Allah (Arabic for “God”) sharia must be enforced in the public sphere by a global Islamic state. As such, Islamic extremists consider it to be the only truly legitimate form of governance and reject democracy and human rights values.
Thus, the ultimate objective of Islamic extremists is the merger of “mosque and state” under sharia law. Those who favor such an approach are called Islamists. Their ideology is called Islamism, or political Islam.
(Photo: © Reuters)
Islamic extremists believe they are obligated to install this form of governance in Muslim-majority territories, countries and, eventually, the entire world. In the minds of Islamic extremists, they are promoting justice and freedom by instituting sharia.
In some cases, Islamic extremists even describe sharia as a superior form of “democracy.”
Islamic extremists have intermediate political goals which they believe will pave the way for the global implementation of sharia. One of these goals is the removal of non-Muslim military forces from Muslim lands and the overthrow of “enemy” regimes.
Acts of Islamic extremism includes terrorism, human rights abuses, the advancement of sharia-based governance, bigotry towards non-Muslims and rival Muslims and overall hostility to the West and, in particular, Western democracy.
Today we “weep with those who weep”, despite our conviction that the Bible calls homosexual behavior sin. These are men and women created in God’s image, and our response to them should be brokenhearted prayer, not condemnation. Our plea for them should be for God’s grace in Christ, as we ourselves continue to need.
It’s also apparently true that most Muslims are not radical extremists, just as not all Christians are abortion-doctor killers or homophobic.
That brings us to how as Jesus-followers we should respond. We can’t defeat terrorists bent on destroying us. We can’t out-debate their ideology. (Though we—here meaning our political leaders—must realize this is a war against an ideology whose adherents mean, in Allah’s name, to take over the world.)
What we can do, what we must do, is pray. Though written in a different context, the apostle Paul’s words apply . . .
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
We demolish arguments and every pretension
that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,
and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
(2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
Therefore put on the full armor of God,
so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground,
and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,
with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,
with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
(Ephesians 6:13-18a)
Does it seem absurd to believe that our little prayers can affect how God works in the world? Remember . . .
The prayer of a righteous person
has great power as it is working.
(James 5:16b)
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