Acts of kindness can make all the difference in a world of terror

Reflecting on the aftermath of the Manchester attack

 

And so, we come to the end of what has been an horrific week. As we continue to lift up in our prayers and thoughts all those grieving the loss of a loved one in the barbaric terrorist attack in Manchester, as well as those still coming to terms with the injuries they have, we should also, perhaps perversely, look at it with a sense of pride.

It is a week that began with a suicide bomber who was hell bent on destroying our way of life, but a week also that finished with the resumption of our election campaign, a campaign the is the very heart of our democratic way of life which the murderous terrorists want to destroy. The very fact that the campaign continues and that we can look forward to electing our government on 8 June is a clear sign that the terrorists will not and cannot win.

But in the week that we remember what happened in Manchester, let us also reflect on those who have fallen victim to terrorism around the world, a vivid reminder that we need a united and global response such barbaric acts of hate and murder.

Let us remember those affected by the suicide bombs in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Wednesday night. Linked to Islamic State, the two bombers killed three police officers and left 11 injured.

Let us remember the 52 people, including women and children, who at the end of last week were reported to have been killed in Syria at the hands of IS. Some of those killed had been beheaded.

And let us remember the 26 Coptic Christians reported today to have been killed and those injured after gunmen opened fire on a bus they were travelling on in Egypt.

As these incidents show, the struggle we face to combat the terrorists is one that needs a global response. It is one that requires a united response from our world leaders.

What that response should look like, I don’t know and can’t claim any expertise, but what I do know is that as a Christian, now more than ever, I will be holding those with the awesome responsibilities for dealing with it in my prayers.

And as for us, those around the world who simply wake up each morning to go to work and then come back home again, perhaps the best way to respond is to reflect and to act on the words of Desmond Tutu who once declared:

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

Ed Jacobs is a contributing editor at Left Foot Forward

One Response to “Acts of kindness can make all the difference in a world of terror”

  1. patrick newman

    Dont expect God or Allah to do anything about it!

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