I was shocked and saddened to read and hear and follow the news about the Charlie Hebdo Paris Massacre. I went through a whole range of emotions as I read and reread the new stories, including tears, anger, outrage and fear.
Why did this story have such an effect on me?
For over two and a half years now I have been trying to shine a light here at Christian Funny Pictures by posting funny pictures, cartoons, quotes, videos and jokes. Our main aim has not changed, which is to laugh AS Christians, not AT Christians. We want people to know that Christians can laugh – it’s not a sin.
Some of the funniest things that I have posted are cartoons. They are powerful ways to make people laugh and think and believe. But they do not magically appear, as like us, they all have a creator – cartoonists.
While I have previously written on what to do when people openly mock and laugh at Christians and Christianity (which you can read here), and I have also written on what God’s reaction is to those who set their lives up in opposition to his will, namely laughter from Psalm 2, here are three things ways in which Christians can respond to the Paris Charlie Hebdo attack:
1. Pray
God calls us to pray. We should call out to him with all our requests, no matter how small or large, and no matter how eloquent or feeble our words may appear. Pray for the families of those who have been murdered. Pray for the medical staff who are still caring for those injured and affected by this tragedy. Pray for the police who are still investigating and searching for those who committed these horrific acts. And ultimately as Christians we should pray for those who persecute us, our enemies, and those evil doers, who just as desperately need Christ as much as the next sinner.
2. Grieve
It is right and proper to grieve over this situation. The 7th of January 2015 will go down as a tragic day in the history of France and for all those who love righteousness, peace, and freedom of expression. Grieve over the terrible loss of life, and the unknown ways this will affect people right across France for the days, weeks, months and years to follow.
3. Trust
At times like this we need to trust God even more. Trust God in the midst of such confusion, such terror, and such fear. Trust God with any feelings of hopelessness or helplessness that we may have and despair at the havoc that can be caused by a few men armed with a dangerous weapon and a dangerous ideology.
In the book of Ecclesiastes at Chapter 3 verse 4 it reads that there is:
“a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance”
This is definitely a time to weep and a time to mourn. But quite extraordinarily cartoonists from around the world have not put their pencils down. Here are some of my favourites in response to the tragic Charlie Hebdo Paris Massacre.
