Luke 12:32. Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Once a friend brought a wolf to our house, and though he was a very well behaved wolf, he stirred up a good deal of anxiety in the household. Our cat, often troublesome, disappeared into the winter night. When we found him he had to be forced to come in from the cold. In the aftermath of the wolf’s visit, I wrote the following prayer:Lord, days and even years go by and we are satisfied that in the routine of our daily lives we are not only comfortable, but secure; and then the wolf comes, and we know better. We are grateful, despite our selfishness and our tendency to be a nuisance, that you care for us; that you are stronger than the predators that wait in the shadows; that you are willing to search for us in the cold and darkness of our terror; and that at last you will bring us into your house…
Today is the anniversary of the Madrid terrorist attacks. If you recall, terrorists (many of whom were later killed or captured) left 11 backpacks full of dynamite on commuter trains that morning, and detonated them via cell phone. Hundreds were killed, maimed, or injured.
At this moment, an important international summit on democracy, terrorism, and security is just ending. Many of the participants, members of the “wired” generation, either blogged the meetings they attended in real time, or took photos with their cameraphones – such as this one of the five minutes’ silence that was observed by all Madrid in honor of the hundreds of victims who were lost one year ago today.
In an increasingly “wired” world it’s good to know that technology can be used for peace and democracy and not only for terror and anarchy. Let us pray that people of goodwill, and of all faiths, can someday banish the wolf forever.
