If The Islamic State Militants Don’t Find Jesus
Yesterday, the Islamic State militants executed a captive pilot by burning him alive .
The brutal execution, the unspeakable way in which the video footage was edited and shot as if it was a High-definition TV show, defies the usual definition of brutality.On an ordinary day, I would want people all over the world, to find new life in Jesus Christ. Today seemed different.
As a Christian, I need to love these militants because we were taught by our Lord, to love our enemies and pray for them. He left us that example too. But how? I have to first get rid of the hatred, the size of a horse, sitting on my chest. I can’t even imagine the relatives of the 26-year old pilot burning up inside for vengeance.
I am almost hoping that the Islamic State militants won’t find the hope of new life in Jesus. That they will face the brunt of human justice, that should rightly fall on them and then go on to face the Impartial Judge, Jesus.
ISIS is evil. ISIS is temporary.
ISIS aims to shock and awe the world. And I wish our world was not so well-connected through the internet. They are depending on this tool to spread psychological dread across countries. But let us take stock by looking at history. There have been murderous tyrants, genocidal regimes, serial killers and rapist in every generation. We forget the dark corners of the huge tent of history when we think that ISIS is the worst the planet has seen. And I contend further.
Hatred, armed and festering
We men and women are depraved enough at heart to do such things and worse. Whether it’s evil mothers eating their own children as recorded in the Bible, or prisoners of war murdered in brutal fashion, is it not the root of hatred that bears the fruit of cruelty and murder?
Power is only a pump that draws out the well of hatred and resentment in the heart.
This is the same hatred I was trying to weed out of my heart as I struggled to think about this new brand of extreme militancy.
And hatred, armed and festering, spews its own seeds into the fertile soil of broken mankind.
But hatred does no good, because hatred begets violence and violence begets further violence.
Even now, experts are warning that retaliation by executing imprisoned terrorists is only going to intensify the ISIS murder-spree. Is this why Proverbs 20:22 makes sense in such times as these?
ISIS needs to encounter Jesus
Before they take the route all other evil empires take, I hope the Islamic State folks will encounter the Jesus of the Bible.
Fat chance, you might say. All I can do is pray and watch. Of course, this post is not advocating inaction against evil deeds. All wrong-doing must face consequences and finally justice. The God of this universe ensures none will escape in the final analysis (Acts 17:30-31,NLT). Like the end of evil dictators in the last decade, the end of this spectacular evil movement might be spectacular. Or maybe not.
May this post be a testimony to the day ISIS falls like all pompous, evil empires did. But I do hope their hatred will be extinguished and replaced with love by the Man of Calvary.
“Granting the sinner life and peace,
Granting the captive sweet release,
Shedding His blood to make us free,
Merciful Man of Calvary!”
How do you think should world governments respond to the ISIS threat?
