The Shield

Well said. As a 20 year Navy veteran who sailed in harm's way during the first Gulf War, I find myself nodding my head in agreement. However, when you say:

"The men and women of Mohammed, the religion of Islam, that are seeking to subjugate and destroy the rest of the world’s people are quite simply evil and wrong."

I'd like to point out that this condition is not unique to Islamic terrorists, nor is it incurable. Romans 3 says, beginning in verse 10:
"None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.

Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known."

As Christians I believe we are obligated to oppose oppression and injustice wherever it may pop up; I believe that true evil does exist in the world and must be challenged and faced down everywhere it rears its head. But in the process, let's make sure we don't demonize the PEOPLE involved. We are all created by the same God, and all of us are sinners under a death penalty. And yet every one of us is precious in the eyes of the living God - even the Islamic oppressors we oppose and condemn.

I guess I'm trying to say that these people are beguiled by the evil one, are wrong, and surely are dangerous to all mankind, but in the end they are no more evil than you or I. The only difference: they are not (yet) redeemed. Military power can temporarily stay their hands and mitigate the damage they inflict on others, but only redemption will change their hearts and bring a lasting peace.

I salute the men and women who willingly lay their lives on the line in far-flung places so that I and my children and grandchildren can live our lives in freedom ans relative peace. But even more I salute those in the spiritual trenches, who are on the scene healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and demonstrating the love of God as living witnesses in countries where merely being Christian is a capital crime. These men and women also give their lives as shields - shields not only for the innocent, but for the very "evil ones" they seek to serve and save. In the words of the quintessential "shield", the One who gave His life as payment for evil that He never committed:
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that he lays down his life for his friends."

Let us never forget that while we are called to shun evil and to hate sin, we were also COMMANDED to LOVE all of those evil sinners just as He loved us.

May His grace and peace be with you.

I do not disagree, as a matter of fact, that is an upcoming subject on this blog. I have been praying hard on what I need to write, and there are so many topics that have popped up that I am putting them together as they have a chance to solidify, I hope as God commands them to be written.

I look forward to your thoughts on the letter to the Christians of the world that will be forthcoming in the next week or so. I just finished the one to our Governments, and I believe the one to the citizens of this great country must come next. However, the one to the Christians of the world, the first of many I hope, will be following close on it heels. Thanks so much for your comments. Thanks even more for your service, and may God bless and protect you and yours.