As a young man, I had the privilege of studying for a year in a college town a few hours away from Paris. I looked forward to the weekends when I could take the train to the stunning capital and marvel at the complex but graceful design of the Eiffel Tower or stand silently before masterpieces in museums that were works of art themselves.
How could anyone want to destroy or even taint such beauty? More importantly, how could anyone ruthlessly kill men, women, and children created in God’s image? Such wickedness is incomprehensible.
How will we respond to this evil?
This week, a Frontiers team leader wrote the following reflection:
My wife and kids and I live in a country that is considered almost 100% Muslim.
Our neighbors, the shopkeepers who sell us groceries, the friendly tailor on the corner, the man selling fresh bread near my office, the taxi driver who helps my wife and kids get all the way across town for preschool—they are all Muslims.
Each day, you are exposed to stories of terrorism and violence. Meanwhile, we hear our Muslim friends describe daily hunger, hopelessness, and a deep desire for their children to have a better life than they have had.
The realities of daily hopelessness that Muslims face are hard to believe when you are constantly shown only one side of the story.
But the greatest challenge for those of us who know and follow Jesus is to see the world through God’s eyes—to see people as people, just as lost as we would be without the Savior.
In the days since last week’s attacks, I have talked with a man who can only afford one meal a day for his wife and five children, a mother who doesn’t have enough for her three children’s school fees this year, and a young man who can’t keep his job unless he pays a bribe to a corrupt government official.
Jesus looks upon us with compassion. As His followers, we are called to also look upon others with compassion. There is so much more to say—my heart burns with conviction and weeps with sadness at what we are facing in the world.
May faith arise in each one of us to go into the world filled—not with fear—but with the Spirit of Jesus.
No political, economic, or military solutions can change the hearts of men. Our response to violence must be rooted in our only hope, which is found in the love of the Father, the blood of the Son, and the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.
‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty. (Zech. 4:6)
**This account comes from long-term workers.**
Original article: FrontiersUSA.org/blog/article/paris-how-might-we-respond
