Linkedin - Spiritual Writers Association posed the question What can we as Spiritual Writers do, to ward off the impending confrontation between Islamic Extremists and their declared war on the rest of the world?
Anyone who is not uneasy about the current threat posed by Islamic Extremists has not been following the news OR has a different philosophic mind set than most of us. Just the mere mention of ISIL, BokoHaram or Jihad causes an uncomfortable reaction in a peaceful heart.
What is the Christian attitude toward these extremists that we as spiritual writers should foster? Pope Francis gives us a clue, but the real answer lies in Jesus Christ. The Linkedin Spiritual Writers shared some very challenging responses.
Barbara Kellam-Scott addresses some of the political and spiritual nature of the problem: “We can continue to demonstrate grace and hope and refuse to be ruled by fear. The extremists don’t even much want our attention; their atrocities are posing for the benefit of each other, waving their masculinity. They are not thoughtful or even ideologically driven. They are best defeated by the Desmond Tutus, the Malalas, and each of us who just go on expanding the strength of the spirituality that binds all humanity together.”
Brenda Basco Hopkins also suggests a political analysis and, again, a healing spiritual solution: “We must recognize that the Super-ego is the driving force of their thought-system, and Hate and Fear is the energy that propels their action. Which means that ultimately all their seeming power and force will come down to nothing when we do our part of releasing our own fears and secret hates in our hearts through the application of unconditional loving acceptance for claiming our power over them and choose to release them to Healing Loving Light.
“Our own private and personal unresolved issues contribute to the ‘false’ power of the Super-ego Islamic war against the world. So, we need to do our own personal healings of our private unconscious resentments, fears, self-doubt, guilt, anger, etc.
“The Limitless Love from our Holy Creator of the Universes is the only True and Real Power there is ... anything that is the opposite to this i.e. fear and hate are false creations… by our limited ego-mind… [replacing] our Limitless Loving Mother/Father God.”
Paul Gehrke, who posed the question we are discussing, says that we are a force for good, and that by reaching out to our Islamic brothers and sisters and “forgoing revenge/hate/and fear”, we make a reasonable difference.
Gehrke warns: “The topic I have put forth will eventually touch us all, and denial of this reality…in the near future events could prove costly, as the fanaticism actually touches us through… acts of terrorism…close to home… this time it truly will be worldwide.”
Gehrke cautions, “The strongest Spiritual commitment and action will be needed to confront its darkness and single mindedness.”
Brenda Hopkins points out, “In Jesus’ Beatitudes, doesn’t it say, ‘Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the Earth’?
“So when we release and heal our own secret hates and hidden fears… through our own unconditional loving acceptance, because judging them and us does not help heal them, then there is no need to fight back with guns, bombs, and other machineries with fancy strategies.”
Imagine what the world would be like if we all had the attitude of Jesus towards those who fill the world with hate and discord? We can live each day with a sense of justice, peace, love, mercy and kindness. The reign of God is in our hearts as Christians. There is a better way to live than fear and distrust.
I will give Barbara Kellam-Scott the last word: “I care about them [the victims]… I pray…in hope of softening the hearts of their captors. ISIL wants only to humiliate Europe and North America, but they care most what other angry folk in their own part of the world think about whether we’ve been humiliated. Our military retaliation only strengthens their claim that they’ve succeeded.
