There are extreme moments that rivet themselves, forever, into our memory.
JFK’s Assassination
The Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster
9/11 and The Twin Towers
Anyone can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard “the news.”
October 22, 2014 – was another one of those days.
WHERE WERE YOU?
Where were you when you heard the news?
I was preparing a message series for Sundays in November entitled, “Operation Impact.”
The day before, CF-18’s had taken off from Cold Lake, Alberta, enroute to Kuwait. The fighters were Canada’s “boots in the air” to take on Islamic terrorism in Iraq and Syria.
The evening before, Canadian Defense Minister, Rob Nicholson warned, “Canada faces a clear and present danger from ISIS.”
Less than 12 hours later, Cpl. Nathan Cirrilo – a Canadian soldier – was murdered in cold blood. His cowardly assailant was gunned down after storming the Parliament buildings and making it to within 50 feet of the Prime Minister’s meeting room. He was a radicalized Canadian.
Less than 48 hours earlier another Canadian soldier in the Maritimes was murdered by a Canadian with ties to ISIS.
A WORLD IN SHOCK
The 3400km’s separating me from the crime scene did nothing to distance the shock and disgust.
The world called it:
Heinous
Evil
Appalling
Tragic
One MP said, “This changes everything.”
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered Canadians a road map.
Four Ways Canadians Will Respond
1. Canadians are vulnerable but not naive. “This week’s events are a grim reminder that Canada is not immune to the types of terrorist attacks we have seen elsewhere around the world.”
2. Canadians won’t back down. “Let there be no misunderstanding, we will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated.”
3. Canadians will stand solid. Canadians will pull together with the kind of firm solidarity that has seen our country through many challenges.
4. Canadians will step up. This will lead us to strengthen our resolve and redouble our efforts to:
* take all necessary steps to identify and counter threats, and keep Canada safe here at home.
* work with our allies around the world and fight against the terrorist organizations who brutalize those in other
countries with the hope of bringing their savagery to our shores.
What Can You Do?
1. Pray for our nation and its leaders, at every level, but especially our Prime Minister and elected representatives.
2. Pray for our military personnel and for our first responders who run to the roar.
3. Read yourself full of faith through the Bible. “The people who know their God will display strength and take action.” Daniel 11:12
4. Pray for Canadians to turn to and trust God.
During the early months of the Battle of Britain in WW2, Prime Minister Winston Churchill called his nation to prayer. Churchill was not known for being a religious man but even non-religious leaders who are humbled by dire circumstances, turn to God.
May God bless and keep our land glorious and free!
Related Article
Run To The Roar – Barbara Winters’ story of why whe ran to try and save Nathan’s life when others ran away.
APPLICATION: Please leave a comment below.
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Thanks Bob. For those of us that have left “home”, we need voices like yours to articulate this narrative. I’ll be wearing red down here in solidarity with you north of the 49th, or as I call it, “home”.
You can take the man out of Canada but you can’t Canada out of the man. Thanks, Mannie. See you soon.
One thing we do know and can be sure of is that God has not changed. He
Is still a G
Knowing that God never changes and that He is good, is something we can trust and have faith in. This is our anchor and comfort anytime, especially right now.
The horror hit me yesterday when I arrived home from Bible Study. I immediately turned on the TV after returning home because our table leader had shared what she knew about the shooting. I wanted to understand more. But what is there to understand?!
To gun down an innocent young man on home soil, who was fulfilling his patriotic role as a citizen soldier for a fallen soldier, what could be more senseless, heartless?!
Then it occurred to me that these men (?) might not be done. My anger and indignation turned to fear, for a moment, then to intense sadness for Canada’s “innocence lost.” It isn’t as if we have been without terror or hardship but to have terror brought by…Canadians?! Hmmm, maybe we call them former Canadians, what is the protocol?!
I knew I must explain this to my children and find peace, but how?
Then God led me back to His word. As we study David in NPCC women’s Bible study, I’m learning the Psalms as I’ve never experienced them before. This week we studied King David as he prepared for war against the Philistines. We read Psalm 144 as he prepared for battle:
Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. Lord, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them? They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow. Part your heavens, Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke. Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy; shoot your arrows and rout them. Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful. (Psalm 144:1-8 NIV)
It struck my heart. Although I may not be a soldier or a citizen soldier like Cpl. Cirillo, I am in a battle with the unseen enemy and must be dressed for battle as Paul described in Ephesians 6. I must put on the armor of God. I will pray, read the Bible and uphold my faith that God has this in control.
Prayers for our military, their families, our leaders on all sides, Canadians everywhere, and even for our enemies whose hearts are ridden with evil lies from an unseen enemy.
The deaths of our Canadian service personnel on Canadian soil is nothing short of cold-blooded, cowardly murder. It appears Canadians have a united sense of revulsion for these acts and a resolve to work to prevent similar occurrences.
Its encouraging to know that Bible verses are supplying perspective and strength for you in these difficult days. Our war is against principalities and powers.
#CanadaStrong