It seems like North America has been on a roller coaster of emotions. The past six weeks have been incredible. During April and part of May there have been some profoundly traumatic events that have happened, particularly in the United States but also in Canada. Some were extremely sad and frightening, while others were miraculous and amazing.
First there were the Boston Marathon bombings and then the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas. These were followed by the arrest of suspected terrorists planning to bomb a commuter train traveling from Toronto to New York City and major flooding along the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.
Then came the incredible news that three women in Cleveland, Ohio, missing for up to ten years, had been found alive by an alert neighbor who, when he heard screams coming from a house, courageously freed the trapped woman, only to discover a house of horrors—inside were two other women and a six-year-old child.
In a few short weeks, we’ve seen the horror of evil and the amazing goodness of God.
There were also two events in Manitoba which, though not as explosive, were nonetheless horribly wrong. Two men opened a restaurant in a small town which was quite successful until it was learned that the owners were homosexuals.
People began to harass, threaten, and boycott this eating establishment until the men were forced out of business.
A few months earlier, in the same town, the publisher of the local weekly newspaper published some very racist and mean-spirited editorials about First Nations people in the community. In return, hateful letters to the editor poured in. It wasn’t long before the newspaper closed down.
Both were cases of hate and prejudice. What we find interesting is that this is, in fact, a rather close-knit community, many with strong religious beliefs.
So we ask, in both these cases, was this the right response?
No matter what beliefs one may hold about a particular lifestyle or people group, we need to ask: what would God want us to do?
Those calling these restaurant owners obscene and hateful names would say it’s because their lifestyle is sinful. And we would answer in return that what the name callers were doing was also sinful. Before God, sin is sin and He is not a respecter of sin.
On the other hand, we are seeing a growing trend—more like a wave—that threatens to silence people with whom they disagree. This too is wrong. Just because a person’s beliefs are different from yours doesn’t mean that he or she is wrong and therefore should just shut up. Tolerance doesn’t mean that everyone has to believe the same way.
When events like these happen, whether it be horrific terrorist events, situations where people’s reputations are tarnished and their livelihoods destroyed, or whether it’s a miraculous rescue, these should all turn our thoughts to the more important issues of life and death. These days, unfortunately, it seems that the few times our thoughts turn to our Creator and His plan and purpose, is when something horrendous or miraculous happens.
What’s the reason for this? Perhaps an answer to this comes from a couple recent surveys we’ve come across.
They’ve revealed that a greater number of people in almost every culture and religious group, no longer hold to the beliefs of their parents. And in a poll taken of religious leaders in Pennsylvania, in response to a question about whether or not they believed that the Bible is “a completely reliable source of absolute moral truth” 78 percent said they would “definitely teach that view” while a full 10 percent said they would not teach this in their church.
On the question of whether or not they believed that “Life is a sacred gift of God and therefore abortion is morally wrong,” three-quarters said they would agree with this statement. However, 17 percent said they did not believe this.
Eighty-two percent said they believed that “marriage is the union of one man and one woman,” while 15 percent said they would not teach this view.
In another case, a study revealed that most North Americans believe that good fathers and mothers must be loving, supportive and protecting, but few saw a need for parents to have a commitment to faith or religion.
What do these surveys indicate about North American society? It’s an indication that people are getting further away from their connection to Creator and their spiritual roots.
As followers of Jesus, we believe our response should be to love those we do not agree with and to treat them with respect. Personally, if I lived in Morris, I would have frequented that restaurant, praised the quality of their cuisine arts but I would not have compromised my beliefs. Speak the truth with love!
Recently I heard a well-known Christian speaker say that when he heard the news that Osama bin Ladin had been killed, he wept. Why? Because it was his prayer that bin Ladin, like the one-time terrorist, the Apostle Paul, would also become a follower of Jesus.
It’s this kind of attitude we ought to have in our thoughts, words and actions when it comes to terrorists, kidnappers, rapists, and ordinary people just trying to make a living. In the eyes of God, we’re no different. Just sinners in need of a Savior.
