As I write this Canada’s capital has just been shocked by a radicalized individual who shot and killed a soldier on duty at the national war memorial in Ottawa then tried to get to others inside the parliament buildings.
Fortunately the man doing the shooting was shot and killed by the sergeant at arms before he could kill others.
This is the second attack on Canadian military personal in less than a week. A few days earlier a man deliberately attacked two soldiers in Quebec killing one of them. The attacker in this incident was also killed.
My condolences and prayers go out to the families of those soldiers who have died.
Such attacks are done by men who are far from God. Men who harbour hate within their heart. Men who know nothing of honour. Men devoid of love.
Rabbi Abba Hill Silver during the dark days of world war two said,
“There is one other fundamental difference between love and hate. Love is always a refuge. Hate is never a refuge. Only a mentally sick person can find refuge in his hates. But love is the enduring sanctuary of life. Life may rob you of many things. It often does. But it can never bereave us of love itself. That remains.”
-Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, rabbinic leader, from a December 22, 1940, sermon,
The men that killed those soldiers were no better than Adolf Hitlers, Gestapo. The leaders of IS who inspired them, nothing more than modern day Nazis who murder innocent men women and children. Such men are far from God.
These murders deserve to be brought to trial and convicted of the crimes they are so guilty of committing and inspiring.
We however as civilized people should not stoop to their level. We should never hate.
Martin Luther King Jr. knew what it was to experience hate, yet he was able to say.
“We thank thee, O God, for the spiritual nature of man. We are in nature but we live above nature. Help us never to let anybody or any condition pull us so low as to cause us to hate.
Give us strength to love our enemies and to do good to those who despitefully use us and persecute us...
Keep us, we pray, in perfect peace; help us to walk together, pray together, sing together, and live together until that day when all God’s children, Black, White, Red, and Yellow will rejoice in one common bond of humanity in the kingdom of our LORD and of our God, we pray.
Amen.
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Let us never hate. Let us hold the banners of Freedom, Justice, and Democracy high never for one minute letting them be tarnished by hate.
We need to pray for our brave men and women in the military as well as the first responders who risk their lives to keep us safe and free.
Pray for the protection of those who are fighting against the evil that IS and other terrorist groups around the world.
Pray for our political leaders that God will give them protection. That He will grant them wisdom in all their decisions.
Pray for peace.
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