When Paris hurts, we all hurt.
The acts of violence that took place on Nov. 13, 2015 in Paris do not only affect the over 125 that were killed and their families, but also the rest of the world. The victims were randomly chosen. Innocent lives were lost. Families were broken up. The world cried as they saw the live updates of the rising death count.
Before the terror began, people were enjoying a soccer game, out at the theater, even listening to a concert. Little did they know, that night would haunt them forever, or even be their last. I cannot even begin to think about what the victims must have been thinking over those hours of uncertainty. What does one think about when they don't know if their next breath would be their last?
Many people are trying to blame a specific religious group for this attack. But I would challenge you to remember that broken people are to blame for this tragedy. Not a religion. Not a group. Not a system of beliefs. But the brokenness in this world. Our world is full of sadness, pain, heartbreak, terror and abuse. The attack on Paris is just another example of why this world needs a Savior.
When sin entered the world, so did the ability to be broken. It is our job to start healing the brokenness in people around us, so that the world is filled with so much love, brokenness will be a distant memory. I know, this sounds like an unreachable, and almost ridiculous goal, but if pain and violence are used to rectify acts of pain and violence, isn't that just doubling the amount of pain and violence in the world?
Now, I know that wars are not won by pacifists, and that just standing down is not the answer, but I believe that God calls us, before anything, to love. Love heals brokenness. And we are all broken. Before you isolate one group of people to blame for this, like my Pastor Ken Lewis from Crosspoint Church said, remember that Jesus does not see our position, but our condition. He does not see certain groups of people as being better than others. He sees the condition of our hearts.
So, amidst all this pain, we are called to love. Hug your family a little tighter, thank your roommates for being there for you, and when you see someone being isolated for any reason at all, love them with open arms.
Because, when the world hurts, we hurt. But when we love, the world loves.
