Manic Monday: "Do not be afraid . . ."

(I have been blessed with proofing work, which is why I have not regularly written on the blog lately.  But I did want to get this in before I started today's assignment.)

"They're coming for us."
"ISIS is here already."
"They're going to sneak in with the Syrian refugees."

These, and other expressions of fear, are what I've read on social media in these days that have followed the attacks on Paris.  Yesterday, a crowd of people paying tribute to the victims at the Plaza de Republique ran screaming in panic after what sounded like gunshots.  They turned out to be firecrackers.  Police activity at a Paris hotel also turned out to be a false alarm.

People are afraid, and I'm not surprised.  In the days that followed 9/11, people were afraid.

I don't underestimate ISIS.  I think they do have more tricks up their sleeve.  It would not surprise me one bit if they had plans to attack the United States somehow, somewhere.  They may already be here.  I don't know.

But somehow, I just have this gut feeling that these responses of fear are just plain wrong.  We're missing something.  We're leaving something out.

In the book of 2 Kings, chapter 6, there's a story of the prophet Elisha and his unnamed servant.  At that time, the king of Aram was at war with Israel, and Israel seemed to know every move that Aram made.  The king was told, "Elisha the prophet tells the king the very words you speak in your bedroom."

The king's response (paraphrased) was, "Go get him!"

Which the army did.  They found Elisha and his servant in Dothan.  When Elisha's servant looked out the window, he saw the army and cried out, they've surrounded us!

Elisha told him, don't be afraid.  There are more with us than there are with them.  And he prayed that God would open the servant's eyes . . .and when He did, the servant saw chariots of fire around the army.

I don't know if God works the same way today as he did in the Old Testament.  I haven't seen chariots of fire lately.  And it may be that he won't protect the United States of America the same way that he protected Israel, or Elisha.

But I do believe that, for those who belong to God, there are more with us than there are with them. Maybe those that are with us will supernaturally protect those who belong to God.  Or, maybe they will just walk with God's people as they experience whatever hardships they experience.

I'm reminded of a song we sometimes sing in church by Don Moen, He Will Come and Save You:

Say to those who are fearful hearted:
Do not be afraid.
The Lord your God is strong
With His mighty arms
When you call on his name
He will come and save.

He will come and save you
He will come and save you
Say to the weary one
Your God will surely come
He will come and save you.

Say to those who are broken hearted
Do not lose your faith
The Lord your God is strong
With His loving arms
When you call on His name
He will come and save.  

He will come and save you

He will come and save you

Lift up your eyes to Him
You will arise again
He will come and save you

He is our refuge in the day of trouble

He is our shelter in the time of storm
He is our tower in the day of sorrow

Our fortress in the time of war

"In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

Just my .04, adjusted for inflation.

Today, we are all French

After 9/11, a number of nations said, "Today, we are all Americans."

Today, a day after 3/13, the sentiment is, "Today, we are all French."

I sat in front of the TV and the computer last night and watched in horror as the death toll from six attacks went from 18, to 100, to 140, and currently, the official death toll is at 128, with over 300 wounded.  Six of the 128 were the attackers.  Two of them blew themselves up with suicide belts as the police closed in.

Right now, I have no words.  Just a compliation of facts and feelings that are rather difficult to put on a computer screen.

Yesterday morning, President Obama sat in a chair and claimed that ISIS has "been contained".

Today, ISIS has claimed responsibility for this horrific attack in Paris.  That doesn't sound very "contained" to me.

I do not want to be hateful towards Muslims.  I believe that most Muslims wish to live in peace.  But the current terrorists out there who are causing the most damage are Muslim.  They conquer and kill in the name of their religion, and they show no mercy towards the people they conquer.  You convert, submit, or die.

There are people out there that just do not get it:  You do not negotiate with terrorists.  You do not give them an inch, because they will not only take a mile, they will take more than a mile.  What happened in Paris, what is happening in Syria and in other parts of the world, is the result of what happens when you think you can "lead from behind" and only croak your denunciation, instead of waging a "pitiless war", as French President Francois Hollande has sworn to do.

Last night, I read posts saying that, "This will happen here.  They are coming for us."

I do not want to be afraid.  I will not cower in my house and wait for Islamic terrorists to attack.  But I do feel fear.  It worries me when we either think that we can negotiate or dialogue with these terrorists, or when we mentally decide, there's nothing we can do, and just let an attack happen.

Last night, I remembered a verse in 2 Kings 6.  In this story, the king of Aram was at war with Israel, and the prophet Elisha was telling the king of Israel "the very words [he spoke] in his bedroom."  In response, the king of Aram sent troops to capture Elisha.

When Elisha's servant got up the next morning, he saw the troops and was terrified.  Elisha's answer was:  "Don't be afraid.  There are more with us than there are with him."

This is what I want to think.  This is what I want to believe.  That there are more with us than with him.  I want to believe that God is with people--that God is with me--and therefore, I don't need to be afraid.

In the meantime, I pray and I mourn with the people of Paris.

Je suis Paris.

Just my .04, adjusted for inflation.

"Prions pour la France" #jesuischarlie

The title of this post translates to, "Let us pray for France." #IamCharlie

When my friend Laura saw me post #jesuischarlie on Facebook, she asked, "Huh?" She had thought I was saying, "Jesus is Charlie."

Unfortunately, that hashtag has nothing to do with Jesus or any famous Charlies (such as Charlie Brown or Charlie, the perfume.)

Charlie, in this case, is Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine based in Paris, France.  No person or group is safe from being ridiculed by Charlie Hebdo--everyone is an open target.

In 2011, the staff of Charlie Hebdo published an issue renamed "Charia Hebdo"--a reference to Sharia Law--guest edited by the prophet Muhammed  A caricature of the prophet Muhammed appeared on the front cover saying, 100 lashes of the whip if you don't die laughing.

Certain Muslims were not amused.

On November 2, 2011, the offices of Charlie Hebdo were firebombed, and its website was hacked. Charb--Stephane Charbonnier, the editor-in-chief of Charlie Hebdo--stated, that the attack might have been by "stupid people who don't know what Islam is" and that they were "idiots who betray their own religion".

In September, 2012, Charlie Hebdo published a series of cartoons satirizing the prophet Muhammed. Some of the cartoons were nude caricatures.   The cartoons were published just days after a number of demonstrations at various American diplomatic missions allegedly protesting the movie Innocence of Muslims, a film considered blasphemous by Muslims.    

In March, 2013, the Al-Qaeda branch in Yemen put out a "hit list" which included Charlie's editor, Stephane Charbonnier.

On Wednesday, January 7, they struck.

They forced an employee to open the door by threatening the life of her toddler daughter.  Once inside, they headed for the room where the staff was in an editorial meeting.  When the carnage was over, twelve people were dead, including Charb, and eleven others were wounded.  One of the men murdered was a Muslim police officer that had been shot and wounded before being executed with a shot at close range.

For the next two days, the shooters were on the run.  

This morning, I learned that the two shooters--by now identified as Said and Cherif Kouachi--had been cornered near the Charles deGaulle airport.  They had a hostage, and they had vowed that they wanted to die as martyrs.

After Matthew went to school, I took a nap . . . and when I woke up, I discovered that there were two hostage situations going on at the same time in Paris.  One was at the deGaulle airport.  The other was at a kosher supermarket in Porte de Vincennes, in east Paris.  Two gunmen--one later identified as Amedy Coulibaly, the other suspected to be Hayat Boumeddiene--had stormed the market and were holding a number of hostages.  One of their demands?  The Kouachi brothers must be freed.

The news drew parallels between the situation in Paris and the search for the Boston Marathon suspects in 2012.  People were told to stay home, stay indoors; and the gendarmes of the Paris police mobilized. 

Two separate teams stormed both sites simultaneously.  

The Kouachi brothers were killed, and they are now discovering that the 72 virgins promised to martyrs do not exist.

Amedy Coulibaly was killed, and when the police stormed the building, they discovered at least four hostages dead.

Hayat Boumeddine is on the run as I write this.  

There is speculation that this is just the beginning, that al-Qaeda in Yemen is gearing up for a major operation in Europe and possibly in the US.  

Our President, while expressing condolences to the people of France, still shows a strong reluctance to admit what we know to be true:  This is the work of Islamic terrorists.  

Not "workplace violence".  Not just "criminals".  

Open your mouth, Mr. President, and repeat after me:  Islamic terrorists.

These are people who are spreading terror in the name of their religion.  It does not mean that all Muslims are terrorists.  It does mean that there are terrorists using their religion to spread terror.  

If these were people using the name of Christ to spread terror, or the name of Judaism to spread terror, would our President be hesitant to call them "Christian terrorists" or "Jewish terrorists"?  

I am hoping that this is not the beginning of a new wave of terror.

In the meantime, the best we can do is prions pour la France.

And to stand with those who have been attacked.  

#jesuischarlie

Just my .04, adjusted for inflation.