Fight Fire with Fire?

Sunday 1/11/2015 4:26 AM

This past week saw violence perpetrated in Paris by an Al Qaida terror cell against Charlie Hebdo, a satirical newspaper that regularly ran cartoons that were disrespectful of Mohammed, and a kosher, Jewish market. A number of people were killed, including the three attackers. Nigeria also saw an attack of a village by the group, Boko Haram, an Islamic terror group, in which over two thousand people, mostly older people and young children, were killed, and the village burned.

There has been widespread condemnation of the attacks throughout the world and some are calling for an in-kind response. Some want to kill all radical Muslims or keep them from immigrating to other countries so that we can live in peace. Many, who call themselves Christian, are voicing the same message, “Fight fire with fire.”

My reading for today includes both Psalm 114 and Psalm 29. Each psalm describes the mighty power of God and Psalm 114 begins with these words, “When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.” It seems that God has chosen to live with his people. What would this all-powerful God do when faced with the current situation? Would he come down with a powerful hand and crush those who oppose him?

My reading also included Isaiah 42, which begins with these words, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.” It seems that if the all-powerful God is living within someone their response to situations like those that occurred this week is not going to be one of violence, but one of seeking justice. In fact, violence will not be an option at all. Isaiah 42 continues, “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”

I long for the day when Christians throughout the world, but especially those in the United States, spend their energies seeking justice for the oppressed, freeing those who are imprisoned, and enlightening those who have been blinded by power, wealth and fame. Too often Christians try to change things by employing the same tactics as those with whom they disagree. They seek to change our society by attaining political power rather than by seeking justice. They want to fight fire with fire.

I wonder what would happen if those who claim the name of Christ begin to live as servants of God like those described in Isaiah 42. What if we showed love to our neighbors and lived humbly with them, seeking their good and their prosperity rather than our own? What if we stood alongside those who are oppressed by the systems of power within our country rather than trying to maintain the status quo? I really don’t have to wonder what would happen. Psalm 37:6 describes it for me, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the sun, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” The way of love and justice runs counter to the ways of our world. The real question is, do I trust God enough to go against the flow and fight fire with love and justice?