The Stand

So what can I say

What can I do

but offer this heart, O God

completely to You?

These are the words that come to my heart as I sit down to write this difficult post. It’s almost been a week since evil opened fire in a Christchurch mosque, and I’ve hesitated in my response to it. Shocked, a little scared, and then scrambling to find words that might offer a perspective of compassion in a way that hasn’t already been said.

We are all aware of the stories, the blame, the comradeship and care that is manifested across New Zealand right now. Is there anything I can add to that?

Not a lot, apart from my own confession: there have been times when I have been wary of those who aren’t like me. Who don’t talk like me, look like me or believe as I do. We all have judgements for many reasons; but when we see a judgement turning to extreme views of supremacy and horrific violence, it makes me think twice about how I judge, how I relate to all my neighbours here.

I was tutoring at a tertiary college in Auckland a few years ago. There was a particular group of people in my classes whose behaviour has made me fearful and wary around others like them. My experience makes it hard to fight against the anxiety-ridden judgement that everyone else I meet similar to them will be the same; but that is simply not the case.

I know that for most of us, our perceptions of others will not lead to such extremism as we've seen in Christchurch. But our judgements, no matter how seemingly harmless, small or even justified, need to be looked at through the lens of this great command: to love your neighbour as yourself. This is one way, I feel, that we can create a type of antidote against the hatred we’ve seen this past week.

Besides prayer, and checking my own heart, I also consider the above lyrics from Hillsong’s “The Stand” and choose to offer myself up completely to my God. He is the only one who stands firm on this shaky ground we find ourselves on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV5iZBTNYrk