Outrage to Violence Should Be Global

It goes without saying a tragedy occurred in France yesterday. They certainly need our prayers as the hashtag making the rounds suggests. But if we're truly outraged, why are only focusing on what the main stream media presents to us? We should also be outraged at the suicide bombings that took place in Lebanon the day before, killing 41 and wounding over 200.

We should also be outraged at the Christians, Yazidis and other peoples that have been systematically massacred in countries like Syria, Iraq, Egypt and elsewhere. Massacres that have been occurring for months, years even, on end now.

Our Lady of the Assumption

Where is the outrage for these innocent people? Where is the option to "support" these peoples in a profile picture? Right now, Facebook has an option to turn your profile picture into the colors of the French flag, in "support" of the French people. It doesn't say to change your picture to "show that you support" France; but somehow they are implying that by simply changing your profile picture on a social media account, you are actually doing something to support the hundreds of people affected by this tragedy.



Sometimes I get the impression that it's simply "trendy" to stand in solidarity with victims or a cause on social media. If we have true outrage, I feel that we should make a big deal out of all these atrocities, and not just focus on one event. There is a bigger picture out there. Let's not only pray for Paris, but for the world at large. We need to pray, and work as well, to stop ISIS and other Islamist extremists so that all this carnage comes to an end. Every act of violence they commit is indeed outrageous.

The affected people of Lebanon, Syria, et. al are just as important as those in France. Their only fault in not being recognized is that they aren't a Western country. Luckily, in modern times, we can give temporal aid to our brothers with the click of a mouse. We can press our elected officials, who might have the power to physically do something, to bring about change. It's hard to do, and it's something I myself should do more, but to effect that change we should do so willingly. Christians should especially take that charge seriously. But I know many people that might have a difficulty in getting monetary aid to a hungry refugee or victim. This reminds me that St. James has a good point on the power of prayer, and how it may be our best bet for helping those affected by this terrorism:

The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest. (James 5: 15-18)

Our Lady of the Assumption and St. Barbara, pray for us!