It took a few weeks for the 9/11 attacks to be recast as tragedy instead of outrage. Did you ever ask yourself why media pictures of the Tower jumpers went from prevalent to non-existent? Possibly you remember the flag flying that rather quickly morphed from nationalism to yearning in the form of yellow ribbons.
What’s the point? People who are outraged are likely to do things or demand that things be done. Plus, they might fuel the dreaded ‘backlash,’ the fear of backlash being used to further innervate demands for action.
In the case of Obama, even mentioning Islam or ‘illegal aliens’ is suppressed because actions against either is anathema to the Muslim-raised America-hater in the White House.
The notion that God is in control further dampens reaction. It’s a decadent, doomed civilization that sees self-preservation as hostility toward others.
Except, of course, God really IS in control. Theology 101.
We should not react to the world as the world reacts, as though Christianity were some human-centered club.
The Christian name of the game isn’t “self preservation” but “God elevation.”
God never promised an absence of martyrdoms. However He did promise to multiply Christendom itself “like the sand of the seashore.” When martyrdoms occur, they make sense in God’s plan. Grace is shed on many others as a consequence.
Ultimately the question comes down to: do we want to be a club of “religious people.” Or do we really want to dive into CHRISTianity? Emphasizing the CHRIST?
Clubs of religious people, I have no advice for.
But CHRISTians, I would advise to listen to His paradoxical plan. It works! Guaranteed! But it requires SELF sacrifice including the risk that not all will live.
Be the world’s or be Christ’s. But you can’t long sojourn being both.