Upper View: It Takes Two to Tango
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America's Center in St Louis paused for prayer this morning as Adventists reflected on the bombings in London. |
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John Smith
Commuters hurry to buses during London rush hour. [photo: istockphoto.com]
America's Center in St Louis paused for prayer this morning as Adventists reflected on the bombings in London.
This had special significance for the many Britons who have traveled to the 58th General Conference Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and, like so many others, I have been invited to give my reaction to the news of those dreadful attacks. While feeling disgust at the bombings and anxiety about a daughter and close friends who work in London, with the courage of my convictions, I had to say I wasn't surprised.
It was an atrocity waiting to happen and many in Britain are surprised that it didn't happen sooner.
Civil rights activities and outbreaks of extremism and terrorism are often driven by the frustrations of the downtrodden, and those who feel oppressed, indoctrinated, invaded or denied a voice often resort to mindless acts of terror, brutality and extremism that too often results in the death of innocent men, women and children.
I take the words -- terror, brutality and extremism -- from the church's official statement delivered shortly after the bombings by a church vice president, but as so often happens, the statement doesn't recognize that it takes two to tango. Such acts may be perpetrated by those who feel their society, culture, faith or political infrastructure is endangered. Current conflicts throughout our world are evidence of this.
I applaud the church for condemning "those who mistakenly see violence as the way to promote their cause" and wish those words could be made available to all who wreak death and destruction, whether in terrorist cells around the world or at the G-8 Conference in Scotland.
The words of Matthew 26:52 ring in my ears, "... those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword."
In these troubled times, all that is happening here in St. Louis seems so much more significant. There are differences within the debate of the business meetings, but this is essentially a General Conference Session of unity and harmony. There is no place for social, political or religious divide.
And when the prayers for the suffering in London were needed, the Adventists in St. Louis responded. The people of peace and compassion directed their thoughts and prayers to the injured and bereaved and I feel sure the people of London value that love and kindness.
The General Conference Session moves on, but the prayer continues and my prayer is that all who bear arms join Adventists, and all those people around the world, who "look forward to a time when sin, death and suffering are no more."
Editor's Note: John Smith was a BBC producer and broadcaster for 14 years and part of the team that won a Sony Gold award for the radio coverage of the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. He is serving as operations manager for the Seventh-day Adventist Church's communication team at the St. Louis meeting. Views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect those of Adventist News Network or the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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