Being concealed in Northwest Oklahoma, it is easy to overlook all the challenges and issues that the world faces. We live in such a simple and homy region that we often times just cannot see how those in urban cities and other countries experience life. The fact is that for many of those people, life has become much more terrifying than most people would like to admit.
I have grown up in Northwest Oklahoma, lived my entire life here and know firsthand the kindness and generosity of my neighbors and friends. I know the deep Christian faith that most people around me share and the kind of impact that living out that faith is capable of. Which is precisely why I catch myself thinking about how violence and hate are capable of spreading across our communities. How is it that evil slips past us, going almost unnoticed until it builds up enough strength to destroy lives, steal peace of mind and instill fear into even the most sweet and innocent children?
Recently violence has plagued the world. Terrorist attacks plaster the news from Nice, Orlando and Paris. There has even been a coup attempt in Turkey that the government managed to tame after its own citizens perished. We see civil unrest and friction within our own nation between our police force and the black community. Despite the best attempts by law enforcement and the military, corrupt and viscous individuals are slaughtering people to spread their agenda.
While we are just a part of Northwest Oklahoma, and we have been lucky enough to be sheltered from this violence, it is more than important that we understand this sickness that we face as a nation and as a planet: it is necessary. Instead of turning a blind eye and saying, "Wow, what a tragedy," we should be outraged and raise our voices against such hate-fueled actions.
Yes, those affected may be half a world away, it may be hard to feel pity for a man with a criminal record, it might feel impossible to take up arms to defend a cause that you feel you are unfit to fight for. However, we are not called to sit idly in the shadows of the fight. As a Christian and a human, I believe it is our duty to love, cherish and protect each other; even those we would rather despise. We are meant to invoke the best nature within each soul.
The unique quality that allowed Christianity to thrive in the third and fourth centuries was its distinct communal nature. We call one another brothers and sisters, a family bound to look after our neighbors, and yet some of us dismiss this ideal. We think we are powerless because we are too far removed, or our voice is too small, or that we don't have the right words to say but we do.
The gospel of Luke tells the story of Jesus sending 72 followers to proclaim his existence. He warns that, for some, joy will great them at the edge of town while others will face disbelief and malice. The men then go out to different towns in pairs of two and preach Jesus' teachings. These men were ordinary believers, and most likely doubted Jesus before following him, just like us. The point is that anyone can be called to do God's work, and we are in fact called to do his work once we accept our role as Christians.
Our neighbors, our brothers and sisters, need support. They need prayer and people that are willing to stand up to violence and say that enough is enough. We cannot ignore these issues just because we are geographically removed from them. Technology, along with the internet, has given us the capability to connect with people all over the world; we should use it.
The world has seen and overcome evil before, just like I am confident we will once again. Good men and women exist, and I know they are working to right what wrongs they can. I believe that Black Lives Matter is an important organization that brings the struggles of black Americans to the attention of other people. I believe that police officers are generally good men and women that want to protect others. I believe that terrorism is only as effective as we allow it to be. I believe that each and every Christian has the power to stand up against evil and take it head-on.
