Jesus Loves Terrorists

Jesus Loves Terrorists
By Brian Nixon, Special to ASSIST News Service
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO (May 7, 2015) -- It almost hurts to look at the news in today’s world. It seems as though each and every day there is another terrorist attack, bringing mayhem and misery to many innocent civilians.
Nations and governments around the world are aghast at the amount of carnage inflicted by various terrorists groups, putting entire continents on high alert.[1] Europe has even designated five “danger zones” within the region: Belgium, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.[2]
And when one turns to the United States of America, constant attention is devoted to fighting terrorism. The Department of State (DS) writes,
“Terrorism is the biggest concern of Foreign Service employees and their families assigned to posts overseas. Fighting terrorism abroad requires major effort and great coordination between DS program managers and regional security officers at U.S. embassies.
“DS also works with other federal agencies, the intelligence community, international law enforcement agencies, and the private sector to prevent terrorism against Americans overseas and at home.”[3]
Terrorism is the new normal on the world stage.
In the first few months of 2015, there have been over 60 terrorist related events.[4] These include:
12 dead after three terrorists kill magazine editors and cartoonists in France.[5]2000 people reported killed in Nigeria by the terrorist group Boko Haram.[6] This number increases the number of people they've murdered to 16,000 since 2011.[7]Various suicide bombings, kidnappings, knifings, and shootings[8].
When one calculates the reported terrorist attacks from 2014, a catalog of over 200 separate attacks is listed.[9]
But while it may be the new norm, terrorism is not a new phenomenon. 9-11 is a stark reminder of terrorism’s treachery. Not only did 9/11 change the physical, emotional, and spiritual landscape of Manhattan and the United States, it changed the public's understanding of word we've now become all too familiar with: terrorism.
Prior to 9/11, most Americans thought of terrorism as something that happened in other parts of the world. And yet, both in the United States and around the world, terrorism was alive and well. Just a few years before 9/11, on April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh detonated a truck full of explosives outside of a federal building in Oklahoma City. The explosion killed 168 people and wounded hundreds more. The blast was felt sixteen blocks away.
You could even go back further into history: September 16, 1920, when a Wall Street bombing killed 38 people; or to Los Angeles in 1910, when a union worker planted dynamite at the Los Angeles Times building, killing 21 people. The fact is, even in America, terrorism is nothing new. Historically, a case could be made that the first terrorist attack was Satan’s rebellion against God.[10]
As crazy as it might sound—and in spite of the awful consequences of terrorism—God loves the terrorist. He yearns for the terrorist to turn from his or her ways and look to Jesus Christ for restoration.
Define
The New Oxford Dictionary defines terrorist as “a person who uses terrorism in the pursuit of political aims.”[11] It goes on to state that the modern origin of the word began in late 18th Century France. The French word terroriste, derived from the Latin terroris, was originally applied to supporters of the Jacobins in the French Revolution, who advocated repression and violence in pursuit of the principles of democracy and equality.”[12]
Pastor Skip digs in deeper: “The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines terrorism as 'the use of violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a political goal,' although not all of those goals are political in nature; some are religious, and some, such as public shootings, are driven by psychological issues. Regardless of motivation, though, a terrorist, then, is someone who uses terrorism in the pursuit of such goals…The root of the word, of course, is terror, meaning extreme fear, horror, and dread.”
Whatever the motivation may be—political, religious, financial, or cyber—the terrorist objective is to bring fear, horror and dread.
Discover
Psalm 34:14: “Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
Psalm 10:17-18: “O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.” (ESV)
John 16:2: “They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.”
Romans 12:18-21: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Develop
Statistically, we are far more likely to encounter victims of terrorism than actual terrorists. But Christians are called to love all people, terrorists included—whether we encounter them or not. Jesus loved his perpetrators; so, too, should we love ours.
Christians are God’s hands; we're His feet, we're the body of Christ. We're the ones who get involved—who need to be sensitized to pain, suffering, torture, and terrorism. Let the world see the loving acts of God in our response to acts of terror.
My prayer for all terrorists is that they find a new kingdom to fight for: Christ’s kingdom of hope, love, and renovation. And unlike the physical violence of terrorist warfare, our war is not with flesh and blood, but against the spiritual authorities of this world (see Ephesians 6:12). For those affected by terrorism, I pray for their comfort and strength in suffering, that their struggles would draw them closer to the God who loves them, and that we as God's church would respond to His call to 'love the least of these' (see Matthew 25:41), to reach out to those most in need of our help and the love of Jesus.”
Pray that God would give you the opportunity to love someone the way He loves them, the way He loves you. To reach a person with the love of God, whether it is someone you know or someone you have yet to meet, use the acronym LOVE as a guide:
L—Listen to people. Make a sincere effort to get to know them and their situation. In the case of those affected by terrorism, don't make assumptions. Ask questions to clarify and listen well.
O—Observe their life. Where are they coming from—emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually? Should terrorism be a factor, the root of the issue will be suffering in almost every case. Ask yourself, How can I assist them?
V—Voice God’s truth. What does the Bible teach concerning suffering, and God's love for those in need?
E—Embrace them with the love of God in Christ. You may or may not have shared experience, but keep Jesus the focus of your conversation and outreach.
Beyond reaching out in LOVE, we may need further help in extending Christ's love to those affected by terrorism. With God's support, we can help them RESIST fear:
R—Reach them with the love of Christ.
E—Equip them with needed supplies and God's Word.
S—Share with them relevant Bible verses about love, forgiveness, and peace.
I—Inform others about the plight of people caught in the crossfire of terrorism. One such group is Reload Love.[13]
S—Stand up and remind others that terrorism is real and it affects real people.
T—speak the Truth of Scripture into any and all terrorist situations.
Jesus loves terrorists and those affected by terrorism—will you?
To learn more about the Jesus Loves series, click here: www.jesuslovespeople.com
[1] http://time.com/3671260/europe-high-terror-alert/
[2] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/16/terror-threat-jihadis-five-countries
[3] http://www.state.gov/m/ds/terrorism/
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents
[5] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30710883
[6] http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/africa/boko-haram-violence/index.html
[7] http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/01/14/boko-haram-terrorists-gaining-strength-in-nigeria/
[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents
[10] See Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-18.
[11] http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/terrorist
[12] Ibid, 1/19/15.
[13] Visit http://reloadlove.com/  for more information on how you can help children affected by terrorism.
Photo: Logo
About the writer: Brian Nixon is a writer, musician, minister, and family man. You may contact him at www.briannixon.com  or https://twitter.com/BnixNews
** You may republish this or any of our stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).
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