We talked about some interesting stuff last night...very thought provoking discussion. One thing that sticks with me through this whole tragedy is the absolute reckless abandon of the people who literally flew the planes into the buildings. And I can't help but wonder what things would be like if we as Christians showed the same recless abandon in chasing after God. We know that God would never have us do something to take the lives of innocents...that's not what I mean. But as we said last night, in order to keep our hearts from hating these people and begin to love our enemies, it's sometimes essential to try to see where they were coming from...what they were driven by...and why they were so unafraid to give up everything. How great did their faith have to be in order for them to go to their deaths in such a way? Could you imagine having that much faith in God? Could you imagine willing to give up that much for Him? Could you imagine being driven by love as hard as they were driven by hatred? It just blows my mind to think of it...

Night before last I was in the grocery store, and this older gentleman came up to me. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?" was his question as he approached.

"Sure," I said...

"Well, I know Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. Do you?" His eyes smiled as he looked at me.

I smiled and told him that I did, and that I was so glad he asked me that, and he smiled even bigger and said that he was glad too and with that, we parted ways...

And I just want to know is that so hard? Like Jason was saying last night...how many times has God told you to go pray with someone or go pray for someone or ask someone if they know Him, but we think in our minds "noooo...I don't want them to think I'm some sort of psycho!"

I have actually justified saying no to God before because I reasoned it out with Him. But God! You don't want them to have a bad image of Christians, do you? If I walk up to him and pray with him he will think I'm stark raving mad and he will think that all Christians are that way...and then he will never want to be one...blahblahblah...

That's a good one, right?

But then again I see the lukewarm Christians (not saying that I haven't found myself in that category from time to time) and it makes me sad...because I realize that the people in the world allready have a bad image of Christians. They don't understand. We have Christians bombing abortion clinics and "Sunday Christians" who live a different lifestyle once the sermon is over...we have the pios "Perfect Christians" who'd just assume tell you what a horrible human being you are rather than try to see things through Christ's eyes...I could go on...

And then there are the Christians who are too scared of their image to take the initiative to walk through a door that God left standing wide open, and because of our selfishness and stubborn pride, our lame rationale, we walk by the dying world and just leave them there to rot. Knowing that we really won't hurt anybody by saying something, but justifying it that way nevetheless.

And what does the person who thinks no one cares see when we walk by and struggle with our flesh to speak or not to speak...they don't see the logic that we use. They see someone who walks by without a word...proof that no one notices their miserable existance. Proof that Christians are no different than anyone else in the caring department...

And it's not that we are incapable of passion...I mean we can put passion and commitment into trying to be happy, trying to be beautiful, trying to be liked...so I just wonder how it would be if we were unafraid and if we really cared. If we had just as much passion and desparation for God as they had for their god. If we quit trying to operate in the flesh and began to operate in the spirit...

Hi forever!!

I don't think it was as much faith as it appears on the surface. Moreover it was years of fanatical brainwashing. The belief system of the muslim/islamics has nothing to do with suicide bombing or that they will get to heaven by dying in battle with the infidels (americans) There are those with cultist mentalities that have taken several select passages out of the Koran and built a brutal doctrine around them. One of the key passages says something ot the effect that they are to "win the world for islam" (or something similar) That has been expanded to permit slaughtering of the unbelievers much in the same fashion as the crusades and the spanish inquisition did. Also there are many Christians today that go to extreems in violence. How many are on trial for bombing abortion clinics or murduring the Dr.s that perform those abortions. They spout scripture better than most of us all the way to jail.

Now to your other point. What if we loved God with reckless abandon?? What a world we could live in! Ours would be so much different than theirs because of free will! If you choose to serve God every day it is different than if you are compelled by your upbringing and societal pressure and rage. Nothing could stop the explosive move of God that would occur if people got up every day and loved God like crazy!

God bless ya!