On the Matter of Being on God’s Side

As I write this column we are nearly one week removed from the tragic events of Patriots Day in Boston. Patriots Day is a holiday in the state of Massachusetts which commemorates the battles at Lexington and Concord which were the initial skirmishes of the Revolutionary War.

In Boston, the celebration includes an 11 a.m. baseball game at Fenway Park for the Boston Red Sox and the annual running of the Boston Marathon which is the arguably the most famous foot-race in the world. The marathon was a little over four hours old when the unthinkable happened on Monday.

The lead runners had crossed the finish line a couple of hours earlier but a substantial number of runners, those who were participating for the simple joy of being a part of the event were still making their way to the finish line. Suddenly there was an explosion; a few seconds later there was another explosion.

The explosions were bombs, filled with shrapnel that were designed to kill, maim, and injure human beings. Three persons died that day. Scores others were wounded. Some lost limbs. In terms of terror attacks, the devastation or the numbers killed and wounded do not compare to the events of September 11.

Yet, the success of the terrorist is not found in the numbers killed; rather, the success of the terrorist is found in the fear that the terrorist attack leaves in its wake. When one looks at the fear caused by the Marathon attacks this attack brought devastation similar to the attacks of September 11.

Later the alleged culprits were identified. Tamerlen Tsarnaev, 27, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, were brothers who came to this country from Chechnya a region of Russia which has sought its independence. Chechnya’s citizens are primarily Muslims.

There was a shootout Thursday evening between the Tsarnaev brothers and the law enforcement and Tamerlen was killed. Unfortunately, a fourth person met his end at the hands of this pair with a campus policeman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology being their final victim. Dzhokhar later was captured by law enforcement after hiding under the tarp which was covering someone’s boat.

There are numerous observations that can be made and questions that need to be asked when one considers this incident. There is an observation that I want to offer when it comes to this attack.

I offer that it is time that we admit that there are those in our world that are hostile to our way of life in this country. Let us be honest. There are radical elements in the religion of Islam that are hostile to American values.

Now do not hear me say that the religion of Islam is hostile to our values or that most Muslims are hostile to American values. In fact, I have Muslim friends who have adopted the American dreams as their own and deeply love this country.

However, there is a faction of Islam that views our society as its enemy. Yet, in our society we have become so afraid of being offensive that we often times refuse to tell the truth. Can we not simply acknowledge what we know to be true?

Before one claims that I am being prejudicial or even arrogant by offering what is an obvious truth let me say that there have been unspeakable acts committed in the name of Christianity as well. The truth is that all too often there are those who hide behind their religion to do acts that actually run contrary to their faith. Religion can be abused.

It is for this reason that all of us should be careful when we invoke the name of God to justify our actions. What I often find is that God calls me to question what I think, say and do as much as he affirms my actions.

At the height of the Civil War someone once asked Lincoln if God was on the side of the Union. Lincoln responded saying, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right” May that be the concern of all of us.