Photo by Fox News
Friday afternoons are my quiet time.
My wife works and I am alone in the home/office to finish up projects from the week and take a look at what the following week looks like.
Yesterday was no exception. I had some work to finish and had music on in the background. I didn’t listen to the news the entire afternoon and into early evening. At around 7 p.m. I quit work and headed upstairs to the kitchen to pull together dinner.
I turned on the television; Fox News was the selected channel. And flashing before me were terrible images of destruction and death. I froze in place, taking in as much as I good, as quickly as I could. Paris…ISIS….Militant Islam…innocent people dying…injuries…bodies twisted and broken.
I felt sick, the same feeling I had the morning of September 11, 2001. I had been slow to hear that news as well and a friend called me in the morning to ask if we should still have the school board meeting we had planned. I’d come in from my morning run and hadn’t heard about the twin towers. He filled me in quickly, then I turned on the radio – and felt sick.
I felt sick; I feel sick. Of course, sadness comes with the loss of life and maiming of people. But it also comes from knowing that this changes the world, most likely in a terrible way. Something must be done.
We are at war, whether we like it or not. It is about nationalities, cultures and, yes, religions. I am a member of the Roman Catholic Church, an institution that stands for faith, hope and charity. The Pope has no army. We battle with prayer. We invite people to experience the love of Jesus Christ.
The despicable souls who unleashed these attacks on Paris also offer their faith to others; join us or die. You could not have more different approaches.
As a Christian, I have to believe that diplomacy, kindness, good will and patience can prevail. The great conflicts can be resolved peacefully.
Unfortunately, I expect the next step in this battle will include armies, planes, bombs and immense lost of human life. Even a cursory survey of history shows that great conflicts are seldom resolved through negotiation. They are most often solved through war, with one side beaten into submission. There isn’t much precedent for win-win war.
That is why I feel sick. It is why I pray today for the people of Paris – and for those would resort to violence to make themselves heard.
I am grateful for my faith. It will sustain me in the dark times ahead. And I know that in the end, good triumphs over evil.
