So Paris has been in the news recently, right? Murder, protests, comradery, and so forth. But what sticks out to me is that no one really seems to understand what, exactly, is at stake here. On the one side, you have people blasting all Muslims, calling them psychopaths, freaks, murderous animals, and so on. Then you have people on the other side saying that Islam is a peaceful religion, and that these perpetrators were a fringe group. Then you have everyone else in the middle trying to play both sides of the fence.
But we're missing the point, especially those of us who are disciples of Jesus. The point is not about whether Islam is peaceful or psychotic. The point is not about being angry and rounding up all Muslims in this country, as I've heard some suggest (sounds like unresolved 9/11 baggage). The point is not about placating, either.
The problem isn't that these terrorists are Muslim. The problem is that they are sinners, and it's the same problem that you and I have. Oh, sure, maybe we're not worshiping their false god, but we're still worshiping false gods. Whether violence is inherent in their faith or not is irrelevant, because they still need a fundamental heart change. This change is needed, regardless of how violent any given Muslim may or may not be. To put it differently, we all need this heart change, whether we're violent people or not, because violence is not the issue.
Sin is.
And so, without being flippant or callous towards the lives lost in the atrocious attack, I don't particularly care that a group of Muslims gunned people down, because I don't see this as Muslims gunning people down. I see this as lost people killing more lost people. I see this as wasted lives, cut off from God, breaking His heart, and in desperate need of a Savior.
Just like the rest of us.
You see, we're all on the same playing field. Not one of us is better - or worse - than any one of those gunmen. If left unchecked, we are all capable of horrible evil. Here's the real kicker, though, we have all been left unchecked, and we have all committed horrible evil. That's what sin is: horrible evil. Lying? Horrible evil. Theft? Horrible evil. Homosexuality? Horrible evil. Marital infidelity? Horrible evil. Murder? Horrible evil. Porn? Horrible evil. I could go through this all night, if I wanted to, because all sin is the same. Sin is nothing short of divine treason, an arrogant attempt to dethrone God.
This is why God hates sin so much. Imagine: the Creator of the Universe, Someone Who sees all, hears all, and knows all, being told by His creation that His Word isn't good enough. Imagine if you were a sculptor who created a ceramic mug, and the mug turned to you and said, "I'm sorry, I'd rather not hold coffee every morning; I'm going to be a plate, instead."
That's sort of like what we do when we sin. We turn to our Creator and say, "What You have for me isn't good enough. I'm going to do what I want, instead." We've all done that.
The Bible tells us that no one is righteous - that is, no one is holy or saintly. Jesus even went so far as to reprimand someone who called Him "Good Teacher," saying, "'Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone'" (Mark 10:18). Get it? No one. Not Muslims. Not Jews. Not Atheists. Not Buddhists. Not Jehovah's Witnesses. Not Latter Day Saints. Not Hindus.
And not Christians.
The Bible paints a remarkably bleak picture of humanity that states that all of us are equally bad. Yet before you go away depressed, realize this: this truth that all of us are unlovable and horrendous, treasonous, people, only makes God's love that much more amazing. Because the same Bible that says that all of us deserve Hell also says that God loves us, still. Not only that, but He loves us and desires that none of us go to the Hell we deserve. Not only that, but He loves us enough that He took the sins of all of us - even those terrorists - and died for them. He died for all of us, so that we can experience the fullness of His mercy, the tenderness of His grace, and the unstoppable and unwavering force of His love. He offers us a new life in which we can learn to depend totally on Him, free from the fears and anxieties of this life, and free from the penalty of our sins in the next.
And He even offers it to terrorists. He offers it, not because of what they do, but in spite of it. And I really hope that at least one member of al Qaeda reads this, because I want them to hear the Gospel and know that Jesus does not hate them, even if those who claim to be His followers do. I want them to know that followers of Jesus - authentic ones, not the nominal ones we see far too often - love them, too.
As Christians, this changes nothing about our mission, which is Jesus' mission: to seek and save the lost. So I'm not talking about the tragedy of Charlie Hebdo, though death is tragic. I'm not talking about the evils of Islam, because all of us are evil without God. The only thing that matters is this: whatever you group you fall into: Jesus loves you. And whatever group of people you hate: Jesus loves them, too.
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