Reacting

Islamic mosques are targets of vandals.

Persons of Arabian descent are suspect.

Popular opinion turns to the destruction of a small, poor,
largely unknown country far away.

The reactions of some in our country vaguely mirror the blind hatred of those who perpetrated this terrible act upon us. Yet, Jesus' injunction to "turn the other cheek" seems alien to our sense of outrage and justice.

Even the famous theologian Bonhoeffer joined the resistance movement against Hitler. Isn't this also a war against a mad man and his followers?

Turning anger into prejudice, though natural and tempting, is not the answer. Indeed, this kind of reaction only compounds the problem.

After the initial reactions subside, we have much to ponder:

How could persons who lived among us for years--and experienced our way of life--still do something so hateful and murderous to us?

In our response, how do we distinguish between the enemy and other victims?

Responding