Radicalized
O God,
Many voices are calling for us to answer the terrorist attacks by radicalized Muslims in Paris and other places with a radical response of our own.
Forgive us for failing to be as radical in our commitment to our Christian faith as radicalized Muslims are in their commitment to doing what they believe they should do.
It’s way past time for us Christians to become radicalized in defense of our way of life. It’s way past time for us to become radicalized in living out our following of Jesus.
So help us to adopt and to live out a radicalized commitment to following Jesus that leads us to live in radical ways that will overcome the evil with which we are confronted.
Help us to overcome radicalized Islam—and radicalized nationalism, radicalized militarism, radicalized “Christianity,” and radicalized fear—with radicalized following of Jesus that values what he valued, that serves like he served, and that responds like he responded.
Help us to adopt and to live out radicalized love. It’s radical to love our enemies and to pray for those who despitefully use us. It’s radical to look past our own interests and to see the pain and despair that others experience. But that’s the kind of love that Jesus had and it’s the kind of love to which he calls us if we are his followers. Help us to possess and to practice radical love.
Help us to adopt and to live out radicalized grace. It’s radical to see past categories to individuals and to see past actions to causes. It’s radical to forgive those who sin against us. It’s radical to see our enemies as those for whom Christ died just as much as he died for us. But that’s the kind of grace that Jesus had and it’s the kind of grace to which he calls us if we are his followers. Help us to possess and to practice radical grace.
Help us to adopt and to live out radicalized hope. It’s radical to believe that you are working your purposes out. It’s radical to believe that we can by the ways we trust and by the actions we undertake make things better here and now. It’s radical to believe that we can act out of hope and faith rather than out of fear and despair. Help us to possess and to practice radical hope.
Help us, O God, to become more radicalized in living out our Christian faith. Help us to become more radicalized in our following of Jesus. Help us to possess and to practice radical love, grace, and hope.
Help us to overcome evil with good.
But let our good be that to which Jesus called us by his words and actions.
Amen.
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