June 11, 2006

Terrorist threats

“Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the rebellion of the workers of iniquity . . . they shoot in secret at the blameless . . . .” (Psalm 64:1,2,4, NKJV)

The headlines in the past week focus on terrorists in Canada, a plot to blow up a prominent building, even target our Prime Minister. It seems a bit unreal. Most people in Canada feel safe and wonder why anyone would want to do such things to us. After all, we are an accepting, mild-mannered nation.

Some blame the government, saying if we were not a military presence in the Middle East, they would leave us alone. That is something like blaming the wife for the beatings her husband gives. Regardless of what Canada does, plotting to kill civilians cannot be considered as something they “deserve.” The Bible is clear that God will hold accountable those who do evil, regardless of any supposed provocation. And that shoe is on both feet.

This passage asks God to preserve us from fear. Sometimes fear is a worse enemy than the enemy. I find it interesting that the ethnic group to which these terrorists belong is now under suspicion. How odd. When a person of Irish or Hungarian or Dutch descent commits a crime, do we suddenly keep a sharper eye on all others from those countries?

Perhaps it isn’t the people group we fear; it is their ideology. Some of them seem to think that the only way to ‘win’ is by striking terror into the hearts of innocent people. Plot against a country in secret and make their ordinary citizens afraid. Win by intimidation.

The biblical antidote to fear is never retaliation or running away. Even though this passage mentions “hide me” it is not talking about fleeing to bomb shelters. In Scripture, asking God to hide me is about going into the presence of God. There, no matter what happens, I am sheltered from fear.

I’ve no presumptuous ideas that being in God’s care means nothing bad will happen to me. What I do know is that when I am abiding in Him, trusting Him, staying near Him, I’m not worried about what will or won’t happen. Of course I will not walk a dark alley in the middle of the night, or leave my house unlocked. That is foolish. But I will go to bed each night and sleep soundly, knowing that God is in charge.

This time the terrorists were caught before they did any harm. Will there be another time, another group that escape detection and actually does shoot at the blameless? Maybe. But being terrified of any enemy says ‘there is no God who loves us.’ Hiding in Him says otherwise.

No comments: