Solomon tells us that “a happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing” (Proverbs 17:22, AMP ). God undoubtedly has a sense of humor; we need only look at some of the animals He created (it’s hard not to smile at the sight of a hippo, a monkey, or a puppy). Or think of some of the married couples you know: don’t you think God was smiling at the wedding as He looked ahead to the interaction of the wildly different personalities that will be living together?
Joee Blogs posted photos yesterday of Muslim protesters outside Westminster Cathedral in London. He took the photos not as a casual bystander or journalist but as someone on his way to mass.
The protesters were holding signs with sayings like, “May Allah curse the Pope” and “Jesus is the slave of Allah.” As you might expect, the photos generated a considerable response. Two things stood out to me as I read the post and the comments:
- Joee took time to pray for the protesters while he was at the cathedral.
- The level of hatred in the comments was disturbing.
First, kudos to Joee for being Christ-like in his attitude. He posted his photos to document what happened, not to stir up hate. He prayed for these Muslims, and early this morning he took action on his blog to stop the hate mongering:
Addendum: I’ve had to turn comment moderation on again since some of the comments show as much hatred as these extremists in the pictures. I’ll post again about this but I’d like three things to be noted:
1) These were 100 Muslims out of the 2 million (ish?) living in Britain. Thus this is hardly representative of all Muslims.
2) The Pope’s speech reiterated Christ’s words to love your enemies, and not to commit violence in the name of religion. Further, Christ gives us a difficult commandment (Mt 5:28) that even to think of evil is as bad as committing it.
3) I prayed the rosary for their intentions.
Among the commenters, there were undoubtedly non-Christians, but my sense was that many of those adding comments consider themselves to be believers. And yet — the protesters are called “animals” and various other names, culminating in this anonymous comment: “Oh to drive by that crowd with a Bren gun and give them the Good News!”
Truthfully, I’m more disturbed by the hatred in the comments than I am by the Muslim protesters. It’s easy to see extremists on the news and become angry, especially when their actions lead to murder, as in the case of the nun killed in Somalia this weekend. As we get angry, as our emotions rise, we have two choices: like Peter, we can grab the sword and rush in cause harm, or, with Jesus, we can say, “Put your sword into its sheath.”
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us clearly:
You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Joee has chosen to be a son of his Father by praying; may all of us who wear the name Christian do likewise.
- filed in living the life
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Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Cheers for the message, you’re very kind!
Your sentiments are admirable.
Joee Blogs was not “brave” as he has been called, by putting the photos on his website - do we not live in a democracy? There is nothing offensive towards the muslims in his photographs - they are nothing more than an account of their hateful protest. Saying that, I am pleased he posted them, and pleased that so many people see them now, if it were left up to the BBC et al, it’s unlikely that anyone would even know about it.
I wish I could be as forgiving and both of you, but I fear that this kind of submission (for want of a better word) is what will destroy all religion apart from Islam. Forgiveness is all well and good, but we, as humans are not perfect.
I am not a Christian, I try to follow Buddhist principles in my life because they exhibit qualities I would like to embrace (much like Christian principles). But I am not a prophet, not the Son of God, nor a fully enlightened being. I cannot find it within myself to forgive and turn the other cheek for I fear that if I do, I will be slaughtered.
Izzie — I appreciate your comments, and I understand your perspective. Forgiving and turning the other cheek are neither easy to do nor pleasant to contemplate.
I’m sure that other Christians might disagree with me, but I do not equate forgiving and loving my enemies with submission to them. I believe that it is possible to forgive someone and to pray God’s blessing on them and still desire that justice be done. Or to put it another way, a heart that desires to love and forgive does not equal passivity nor pacifism in the face of wrong. If British law allows for these protesters to be arrested, then they should be. But I can still seek to love them even as the secular justice system takes its course.
Jesus calls us to love, forgive, and turn the other cheek as individuals. I believe that nations need to incorporate mercy into their justice systems, but that certainly doesn’t mean they turn a blind eye to wrong. I have no problem with a nation going to war to combat evil, and there are systems and rules in place (the Geneva Conventions, for example) to insure that those involved are treated appropriately. World War II showed us that to ignore evil is wrong; the evil of the Nazis required moral, loving people to fight. To do anything less would be wrong. But in the midst of that, I must guard my heart and not allow unforgiveness to creep in.
On a personal level, my own experience tells me that to not forgive ultimately causes me greater harm than the effort required to forgive. Forgiveness does not come naturally to me; I tend to hold on to things and let them fester. But that festering, if not dealt with, ultimately threatens to consume me. So I’ve learned that if for no other reason, I need to practice forgiveness for my emotional well-being.