- I have never lost a friend or family member to an act of terrorism
- I have never received any Christian sacrament or been a member of a church
- I used to recoil at the question "What would Jesus do?"
According to the Pew Forum, there are 2.2 billion Christians in the world and 1.6 billion Muslims. We live in a world where Islam and Christianity are increasingly presented in opposition to each other -- despite the fact that they share many historical connections and beliefs.
I am not asking the question "What would Jesus do?" to be cheeky or glib, or to suggest some kind of irony. I ask the question because Jesus Christ is the guiding spiritual figure for millions of Americans and billions of world citizens. Isn't it worth sitting quietly and contemplating what he would advise in the situation we now find ourselves?
In my late 20s and early 30s, I was struggling with anxiety and desperately looking for a way out. I decided to read all the spiritual texts I could get my hands on. Even though my father was a Unitarian minister, I did not read the New Testament until I was 32. When I came to Matthew's description of the Sermon on the Mount, it was like getting punched in the stomach. I found myself crying as I considered the depth of what Jesus was proposing. The following lines in particular were the most inspiring and challenging for me:
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you."
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your friends, hate your enemies.' But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
What if this isn't just rhetoric? What if he really meant it as a practical strategy? What if he intended for us to do this even when it isn't easy or comfortable? What if it really works to engage your heart fully and act out of the deepest resources of compassion you can reach? What if we have had the solution to violence for thousands of years, but we have chosen not to employ it because we are afraid it will not work?
There have been loud calls to be "ruthless" and to "bomb the s**t out of them." I understand these sentiments, because I have felt them myself. But then what? Human beings are biologically wired for to be judgmental, self-defensive, and vengeful. We are also wired to be empathetic, compassionate, and peaceful. I think Jesus (and many other spiritual figures) had a profound understanding of the human condition. I think enduring spiritual lessons acknowledge both sides of human nature. I think these teachings encourage us and provide us with guidance to transcend our knee-jerk reactions for revenge when we are hurting.
I do not pretend to know the solution to global terrorism. Terrorism is ugly and almost impossible for me to get my mind around. It is profoundly complicated to negotiate a multinational response to a determined, radical adversary. And...we have the capacity to take a breath, to identify who we really want to be as individuals and as a society, to consider the lasting consequences of our actions, and to choose a response based on our deepest values.
Whether by evolution or divine intervention, we have been given the gifts of rational thought and compassion. We have the opportunity to honor and express our gratitude for these gifts by using them when it is the most challenging to do so.