The Christian and ISIS

It seems the threat of Isis to humanity and Christians in particular is greater than any opposition we have seen in decades.  It is becoming an issue in more and more countries. It is so revolting that we may wonder if Christian pacifism is still valid position. . I am tempted to applaud under my breath when the US makes a direct hit on an ISIS encampment. Even family members wonder if there is any alternative but to “shoot them”. The reports of ISIS taking over another town in Iraq or Syria and beheading hundreds of men, women and children pushes us to waver on an issue some of us have always felt mostly solved, at least theoretically. But is there another way than how we have always looked at it?

What should the Christian think or do about the whole issue? To ask the question assumes there might be an alternative, however incomplete it may be.

 Observations of our wider faith may point to some direction for us to take. First of all, we know that God knows and sees everything and knows more about what is going on than any of us. He is tolerating it so far. We know also that he is a just God and has judgment in store for all evil doers. Why he is not interrupting this evil is a question for which we have no good answer. It seems at least he should interfere since we can be sure he cares. He knows that Christians and many others are suffering incredibly in the disruption of families, homes, and churches. We may suppose there is some meaning to his apparent absence in the whole confusion. I have little answer for that.

We believe that God could do something to stop this atrocious activity we hear or read about every day. At least we assume he could if he would want to. So where do we go from here?

One thing we personally believe in very strongly is that we can, should, and do pray many times for God to act to frustrate the plans of evil doers so that they fail again and again. It is ironic that God would need our help to act, and that he may just do something more if we pray asking him to do something. Yet our whole belief in intercession is based on the belief that he will do more when we pray. Otherwise, intersession would be groundless. It may be less newsworthy as the networks judge, but I believe ISIS makes many plans that do not succeed, or kill far fewer they had hoped. Sometimes only the killer and a few die- not as many as could easily have died in the setup. We do not know why we are to pray about this but we can pray with the assurance that we should.

We also pray regularly for persons losing family members. It can be test of faith for them. Perhaps it is also a testimony of faith that believers are faithful to death. For refugees we pray a lot- that they find much more than they are pursuing- a new life of knowledge and security in Christ as they flee violence.Sometimes we hear of numerous such persons coming to faith in Christ.

It seems the more ISIS is opposed militarily the wider it expands throughout Europe and even Southern Asia. Self-radicalization brings it next door to us. We should not assume it will run its course and expire from exhaustion. They are recruiting effectively in many countries. Christians need a weapon consistent with God’s ways to fight evil. Jesus said that they who fight with the sword will die by the sword. It is the Sword of the Spirit that can control and overcome evil in all of its designs.  The weapons of carnal warfare will extend the battle a long time. We can do our part as Christians in working with God to overcome evil in many intelligent and loving ways. Christians and nations can do much by undermining the fruitful grounds of poverty and ignorance, dealing with social situations where radical Islam thrives. We do not need to stand on the sidelines of the battle, but seek God’s way of dealing with it. We may not have all the answers but we can move forward with God as he leads us.