Last night, as I was busy making hamburgers and macaroni and cheese for my family on an “everyday” kind of day, families half-a-world away were being torn apart. Another city and her people lost their innocence. A beautiful autumn night in Paris, full of romance, enchantment, and wonder. Regular people, doing regular things, on an “everyday” kind of day, in an extraordinary setting. Then…explosions. Gunfire. Panic. Horror. The City of Light went dark.
News of violent attacks, both nationally and abroad, have become almost pedestrian. In this age of instant news updates and social media hype, few stories have time to develop before we’ve moved on to whatever comes next. Last month, another mass shooting on a college campus. Two weeks ago, a downed Russian airliner. Now, a coordinated attack in one of the most illustrious cities in the world. How did we get here? When will it end?
Our collective reaction to such tragedy goes beyond religious or political beliefs, though the punditry and agenda-based propagandizing has been prolific. Society has demanded we choose a side, for there is no room for middle ground. I would argue the middle ground not only exists, but should be the most populous “side”. Within its boundaries lay common sense, decency, grace, respect and integrity. A “Common Core” for humanity, if you will. Christians would say the Golden Rule is the governing premise here. But many religions have some form of “Do unto others as you would have done unto you,” – Luke 6:31. Even outside of the religious aspect, most people know right from wrong. And what went down yesterday in Paris was wrong. In so many ways.
So, here we are. Toe-to-toe with the worst kind of wickedness; faceless, nameless monsters responsible for invoking fear and dispensing violence. And no one can agree on how to fight the battle, let alone win the war. While I will not pretend to have the answers, I do know we must all stay engaged. We cannot become numb or desensitized to these events. We cannot lose sight of the human aspect or the emotional toll on all those directly affected. We cannot move on so quickly the fear and pain are forgotten.
I truly believe this is one of those situations where if we are not part of the solution, we are most certainly part of the problem. As members of this global community, we can no longer hide behind helplessness or naivety. Everyone must put on their armor, regardless of race, religion, color, or creed, and fight the good fight!
What does that mean? It will be different for each of us. For me, it means lots and lots and lots of prayer. Praying for comfort, solace, peace, and enlightenment. Praying for clarity and purposeful action. Praying even for the ability to forgive. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” – Luke 23:24. For even as my heart is breaking and my tears are flowing, I have no choice but to love…and forgive.
Together, without name-calling, divisiveness, and self-serving priorities, we will be triumphant! Evil cannot diminish hope and promise unless we give it the power to do so. Perhaps if we each shine brightly with truth, love, and resiliency, we will be able to chase away the darkness surrounding the City of Light.
#prayforparis #prayforusall