Send Them Back!

Father, forgive us.

My heart is heavy and my spirit is crying to God.  

Stop this insanity.  

Your people, my people, care more about a 40 inch TV., a new car, a big nice home, and bottled water than they do about humans.  "Hearken to the sound of my voice and hear my cry"

What's the worse that could happen?  Someone shoots up a theatre or blows up a federal building?  The names change but the atrocities against humanity are the same, we kill each other and for what reason? Gold, Land, Oil, Religion? What is the reason we kill each other?  Is it worth it?  

Wars have been going on for so long and we keep reverting back to the same solution to conflicts.  We take, we kill, we do what we want when the other guy is weaker and our technology is stronger.   

Isn't it part of the evolutionary process to "get better" and to do things that are against our learned behaviors to make this world safer and better? I mean why is it so hard to think and talk out a solution to end wars, poverty, and injustices. 

When we were children we pointed fingers and called each other nasty names and threw toys and broke things, we grabbed and took things, we bit and punched when we didn't get what we wanted, we still do. 

What is this world going to look like for the future?

Will this violence ever stop?

War and violence are not the solutions for our problems; kindness, humility, and love are our solutions. 

Thinking about the possibilities of dying by a gunshot in a movie theatre, I still go.  

Thinking about the possibility that I may die at McDonalds from an assassin's bullet hasn't kept me from eating there.

Terror attacks happen every day in this country and across the globe and we just keep the same course, and that's insanity.  

We point fingers and call names and then turn on the evening news to see who we need to hate or if we are hating the right flavor of the day.

A child lies on a beach, dead, and we find that image offensive, yet we are not offended by the notion that we should close up our country, prohibit refugees for fear of a trojan horse.  Or that we have systematically committed heinous acts of terrorism throughout the world for many, many years, or that we may be the victims of political agendas.

"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."  Forgive me, for not doing enough to help my fellow neighbor.

"Judas, dost thou betray the Son of man with a kiss?"

In light of the recent attacks in Paris I have heard some really off color remarks from people that profess a Christian belief and the comments are just filled with fear.

"What if 'they' blow us up?"  "What if this is like a trojan horse?"  "Why should we help them?"  "Send them back" My first thought was; "Why is this a "we" "them" issue?  Why isn't this a humanity crisis that involves solutions and responses from all of the world?

There are so many questions and few answers at this point, but, what I can tell you is that if you open the bible and read the gospels, you will find the story of one Judas Iscariot in the text during the passion of Christ.

The Passion of the Christ takes us from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection and everything in between.  I have read, slept on, mulled over, and LIVED Passion Week and have come to the understanding that what the Christ stood for, what his bare bones message is that we profess is this: "Love God above all" and "Love your brother as yourself"  It's that simple folks.  

So as a litmus test for a response to the refugee crisis in the world look at the examples of Christ during the Passion, especially, because this is where you find the character of the Christ.  

The hardest and most difficult time in your life brings up the "sea floor of your life".  Chaos, misery, lies, deceitfulness, violence, and betrayal are all in the week leading up to the crucifixion.

Jesus lived with, ate with, and worked with a "sleeper cell" named Judas Iscariot.  Jesus knew his attacker was going to betray him and ultimately lead to the death of the Son of God.  

Think about that.

The Son of God, Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the Chosen One was turned over to be killed by one of his trusted companions and Jesus knew it would happen.

"Holy Week, or the Passion of Christ, has many examples of Christ's wisdom and life lessons in the darkest hours of His earthly life.

When I hear of the "plots" and "plans" made in darkness to betray a nation of people (by refugees) I am quickly cautioned to recall what happened to Jesus.  

Judas kissed Jesus and that began the events of Holy Thursday that lead to the salvation of humanity though at the time I am sure you could see how hard it must have been to trust in the work God was doing.

Now, here is the difference.  We live in fear of losing our cushy lifestyle.  We fear the unknown.  We have this uneasy feeling that terrorist may attack the United States, and they probably will,  to make us conform to Islam.  Jesus trusted in the Divine Plan we, too, must also.  

There are people in agencies that care tremendously about the safety of the American people, that work every day to make this world better, and those people are the ones that do the best they can to maintain a very free life in America for all of us.   

So, why did Judas betray Christ?  Most scholars rest on the misunderstandings of Judas in regard to the mission Jesus was here to fulfill.  When Judas found out that Jesus was not attempting a revolt against the government, Judas, betrayed him because he was angry and hurt.  

What about the ones that want America to be blown up, what is it that they are angry and hurt over? 

Why are we a target? 

Taking precautions to prevent an attack is a prudent and noble aspiration, however, let's be realistic.  Our history and activities throughout the world in the past 75 years have been, at best, poor.  

Now, you need not be a religious person to grasp the concept of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you"  

Would you want to go back to this?

Terrorism will end when there is no longer participation in terrorism.

Find God in the response to a betrayal.