I have long been burdened for the people and nation of France, especially Parisians. But today, my heart aches in an unprecedented way. Amid a flurry of emotions ranging from confusion and anger to sorrow and hope, I’m compelled to reflect on my encounter with God in France, but most of all, to pray.
We had never visited France when we arrived 7 1/2 years ago to live there. For us, La France was the mythical land of wine and cheese and love and lights. It was all that and more.
But, the church struggles in France. A context of intellectualism and secularism reigns and the idea of faith in Jesus is foolish to most. And yet, the French are a gracious, creative people who prioritize the rights of the weak and the poor. We learned much about the heart of Christ from them.
Spiritually speaking, there is great need in France. There can be depression and sadness and hopelessness at times. There is great paradox in the City of Lights where darkness can often be seen and felt.
Today we wake up to true darkness: violence and murder on an unprecedented modern scale in Paris. Into this reality me must pray. And as we pray, we must pray as disciples of Jesus, remembering his Lordship and his way.
Today we wake up to true darkness in Paris & as we must pray as disciples. #PrayforParis Click To TweetMy friends are reeling but are hopeful. As disciples of Jesus, agendas of retribution and hatred are not their response, and should not be ours. Under the Lordship of Christ, God uses these moments as opportunities for us to respond with love, extending His presence to all, even those who do not yet believe. My friends’ heart cry mimics the Christmas Hymn this morning:
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.
I invite you to join me in praying for the people of Paris and the nation of France:
God our Father, we pray for Paris and for France. We pray that peace, unity, and love would reign instead of terrorist agendas or violent reactions. We pray for Syrians who were already deeply criticized and who will be at risk. We pray for innocent muslims, Christians, and all people of faith who may be targeted for retribution. We pray for your church, that she may grow and be strengthened during this dark time and that you will inspire creative ways to love and serve in the midst of tragedy. And we pray that your kingdom would come and your will be done in Paris as it is in heaven. Lord, have mercy.
Missio Alliance Comment Policy
The Missio Alliance Writing Collectives exist as a ministry of writing to resource theological practitioners for mission. From our Leading Voices to our regular Writing Team and those invited to publish with us as Community Voices, we are creating a space for thoughtful engagement of critical issues and questions facing the North American Church in God’s mission. This sort of thoughtful engagement is something that we seek to engender not only in our publishing, but in conversations that unfold as a result in the comment section of our articles.
Unfortunately, because of the relational distance introduced by online communication, “thoughtful engagement” and “comment sections” seldom go hand in hand. At the same time, censorship of comments by those who disagree with points made by authors, whose anger or limited perspective taints their words, or who simply feel the need to express their own opinion on a topic without any meaningful engagement with the article or comment in question can mask an important window into the true state of Christian discourse. As such, Missio Alliance sets forth the following suggestions for those who wish to engage in conversation around our writing:
1. Seek to understand the author’s intent.
If you disagree with something the an author said, consider framing your response as, “I hear you as saying _________. Am I understanding you correctly? If so, here’s why I disagree. _____________.
2. Seek to make your own voice heard.
We deeply desire and value the voice and perspective of our readers. However you may react to an article we publish or a fellow commenter, we encourage you to set forth that reaction is the most constructive way possible. Use your voice and perspective to move conversation forward rather than shut it down.
3. Share your story.
One of our favorite tenants is that “an enemy is someone whose story we haven’t heard.” Very often disagreements and rants are the result of people talking past rather than to one another. Everyone’s perspective is intimately bound up with their own stories – their contexts and experiences. We encourage you to couch your comments in whatever aspect of your own story might help others understand where you are coming from.
In view of those suggestions for shaping conversation on our site and in an effort to curate a hospitable space of open conversation, Missio Alliance may delete comments and/or ban users who show no regard for constructive engagement, especially those whose comments are easily construed as trolling, threatening, or abusive.