I woke up this morning to the
news of the attack on the Libyan embassy on 9/11. Initial reactions include the
sadness of the violence of our world. I had wondered Tuesday morning of there
would be some attack somewhere to play on our emotions of 11 years ago.
I prayed for the peace of
Christ to reach out to our world.
Then my sadness turned to
despair as I listened further and heard that it wasn’t just a 9/11 reminder but
a response to a film produced by a California filmmaker who identifies himself
as both American and Israeli. The film was being promoted by an extreme
anti-Muslim Egyptian Christian [emphasis mine] campaigner in the United States. Excerpts from the
film dubbed into Arabic were posted on YouTube.
I can’t imagine God adding
the tag line to this whole affair, “I’m Jesus the Christ and I approved this
message.”
James 3:5-6 5 So
also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a
forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 6
And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of
iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is
itself set on fire by hell.
James 3:8-10 8
but no one can tame the tongue-- a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and
Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come
blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.
As Christians we are the ads
people see and hear every day. We can’t control all people who claim to speak
for Christians but we can control our own words, actions and responses to those
with whom we disagree.
Join us Sunday as we consider
how we can have “holy conversations”
about tough issues – in church and beyond.
Steve Hermes
Continually creating an inclusive and accepting
family of God by modeling our lives after Jesus the Christ.
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