They're Dead. Now What?

Every morning I get down on my knees and pray to God.  Sometimes the cares of the world or my life weigh on my thoughts, and I want to tell God about them.  These days, I’m tempted to pray:  God, please stop those terrorists who seek to kill others.  Or I might be tempted to pray:  Dear Lord, please watch over those who feel hatred from those around them.  Or I might want to pray:  Please, Lord!  Keep our enemies from using the good things You give us in evil ways.

I might ask God to do these things.  But, I think, no one seems to be asking God.

As for stopping terrorists, President Obama says Donald Trump is creating them, and he must be stopped.  And for his part, Donald Trump says President Obama is not keeping them away from us.  And a local respected radio show host says we should jail those who by their speech promote killing Americans, before they actually kill any!  And in other media areas are those who say we must keep guns out of the hands of terrorists, and still others who say we must stop terrorists --- like those who say abortionists or homosexuals are sinners, or, …. those who disagree with me.

I pray to God about these moral issues, and am tempted to tell Him what to do,  These other discussions I hear in the media are about these same moral issues, but they are not asking God to do anything, they want SOMEONE to do something.  And therein lies the issue they are not talking about:  Who?  And perhaps most importantly, who do you trust?

We’ve seen that many liberals would say that conservatives are the evil ones on every moral issue, and they should be stopped.  And certainly there are a goodly number of conservatives who would say the same thing about liberals.  What is, they may agree, a moral issue is being pursued with a political solution.  And in politics in this country, right now, those on other side are always the terrorists, on every issue.

There is a fear today that if we gave politicians today the power to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists, all conservatives and their organizations would be banned from having guns.  If we gave politicians the right to put those who make terrorist speeches in jail, all priests and ministers would soon be in jail.  We’ve seen what happens when the IRS judges the morality of conservative group organizational efforts.

In America today, in Washington and in the media, there are no moral issues, there are only political issues.  That is the problem with any proposed solution being discussed for the terrorist problem.  Politicians would not be as moral, or as loving, in implementing any solution as God would. 

But back to my prayers, exactly what am I praying for these days; what am I asking God to do?  Well, it’s none of those solutions, nor any other I might want.  Instead I pray the prayer He taught us.  It starts:  Our Father … , and looks for His solutions.   

The right solution to the terrorist problem will not be one I create, but I trust in God.  I don’t trust politicians in Washington.

This was the oath He swore to our father Abraham:  to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship Him without fear, holy and righteous in His sight all the days of our life.  Luke 1:70-71