God and Terrorism

History records the story of a man that hunted Christians from country to country; when he found them, he'd drag them to a nearby church and have them whipped until they cursed the name of Christ. He voted for the deaths of many Christian martyrs, and had others thrown into prison.

How does God treat this militant anti-Christian terrorist?

He converts him (Acts 9:18) and uses him to preach the gospel of Christ to the Jews in Damascus (Acts 9:20), then he uses him to strengthen established churches (Acts 11:26) and plant new ones all over the Mediterranean (Acts 13 &14). He uses him to write thirteen books of the New Testament. He also saves his life multiple times: from assassination attempts (Acts 9:24-25, 9:29-30), a shipwreck (Acts 27:41-44), a poisonous snake bite (Acts 28:5), and angry mobs (Acts 13:50, 14:5, 17:5).

The militant terrorist, Saul, became Paul, whom many scholars consider to be the second most influential person in the New Testament.

My question this week is: "How should I treat terrorists?"

What should my response be to people that have committed horrific crimes against innocent people, Christian or not? This is the first week of September, and in a few days we will mark the eighth anniversary of a terrible crime committed by a small group of religious terrorists. 2,985 people died as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. A John Hopkins study estimates that between 420 and 790 thousand Iraqi's have died in the war that followed. This number excludes the ongoing war in Afghanistan.

I'll always remember that day... watching the news throughout the morning as the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York crumpled... seeing reports of another plane that crashed into the Pentagon, and another that was forced down in Pennsylvania by brave passengers that fought back against their captors. I remember wondering how many more terrorists were out there, and what other tactics they would use.

I remember the heroism of the New York Fire and Police Departments. I remember other fire fighters from across the country traveling to New York to help with the rescue efforts. I remember the political leaders, Rudy Gulliani and President Bush rallying Americans to help with the relief efforts and the aftermath of the devastating attacks.

I remember the reactions of our government--swift retaliation against those directly responsible and also against those suspected of providing aide to the perpetrators. Then the war became "pre-emptive." We began striking targets that we thought may be hotbeds of terrorism. Saddam Hussein was eventually captured and hanged (the video was all over the Web). People celebrated his death. Our government is still hunting down Osama Bin Laden. American troops are deployed in multiple theaters in support of our war on terror.

I remember my personal reaction: I felt helpless, afraid, relieved that it wasn't happening to me (I'm being honest...), and angry. What I didn't feel was love for the people that were responsible. I didn't feel pressed to pray for the people responsible for flying the planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. I still struggle with typing "people" instead of "terrorists."

The fact remains that those responsible for these heinous crimes are/were "people." Christ died for them, just like he died for me. He instructed me to love them... to pray for them... to bless them. Christ did not tell us to retaliate with force, but to "turn the other cheek." He told us that the World will know that we are Christians by our love.

I find this challenging. I served in the U.S. Army during the Persian Gulf War. I am proud that I served honorably, and provided an important service for my fellow troops in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait (I was assigned to AFRTS). At the time, I enjoyed hearing stories of our military successes in Kuwait and Iraq. Later, when our country was pushing back into Iraq and making inroads in Afghanistan the same sense of pride welled up in me.

I am proud of our troops. I am less proud of the decisions of their leaders. I am much less proud of what I see as the reaction of a large part of the Body of Christ. I believe that as a Christian it is right to support our troops with prayers for their safety. But, I also believe that I have the same obligation to pray for the lives of our enemies (I did not say that I pray for their success). I pray for their salvation. I pray that every one of them has a "Damascus Road" experience. Some of these zealous militants are obviously capable of leading large groups of people into radical acts that defy logic. How powerful would they be as missionaries for Christ? A military victory over these people does nothing to deter them from their hatred for Christians and "Westerners." The only victory that can have a permanent impact is to win these people for Christ. As a Christian, I have been instructed to respond to their acts of violence with God's love. This is very difficult for me. It can only be achieved through strength provided by God. I am not capable of doing it on my own.

God help me overcome my anger at the enemies of my country. Give me the strength to pray for them, to bless them, and to love them. Give me a heart like Christ's. Help me to become more Christ-like. God, I pray that each one my country's enemies has a "Damascus Road" experience. Reveal yourself and your Son to them. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.