A Thought

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord, looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled …” Hebrews 12:14-15

You may already know the US Embassy in Cairo, Egypt was overrun by protesters and that the US ambassador to Libya was killed in the past couple of days.  News reports this morning indicate these acts of protest and violence came as the result of some online movie (produced by an Israeli-American in California, they say) depicting the prophet Muhammad in an unfavorable light.  We know Islam is very sensitive to any references to or of the prophet outside the preaching of the faith, but there is also an insistence that we are “free” to speak as we please when we please about what we please.  Indeed we are, but we are equally free to refrain from intentionally antagonizing someone needlessly and ultimately causing harm.  Would you celebrate and defend your freedom to speak as you please if the US ambassador to Libya were your loved one?

The writer of Hebrews reminds the faithful that our conduct and pursuit of “holiness” is necessary if we are to follow in the footsteps of Christ and if we truly hope to one day “see the Lord”.  It is not a matter of whether or not Islam needs to “get over it”; it is entirely about what we intend when we speak and act in any regard because when we do so as we are known as Christians, we are assumed as speaking on behalf of Christ Himself and what we believe to be true.  So would Jesus intentionally antagonize someone only because He was free to do so?  There is a difference between speaking freely in a constructive manner – and just being a jerk.  An American ambassador and countless American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines are dead – needlessly so - because the freedom of others was not exercised responsibly.

We are better than this; grace has not been extended to us so that we may do as please regardless of who may get hurt.  Somewhere and at some time, this madness has to stop.  Will we choose to be part of the process of peace as we are so called?  Indeed we must; otherwise we are just part of the problem.

Blessings,

Michael