The plank in our own eye: Christians and Islamic violence

Christians, we don't have the moral high ground. We just don't.

We claim to follow the Prince of Peace. The One who said Blessed are the Peacemakers.

Then we spend billions building ballistic missiles and name them "Peacemakers", with no sense of irony.

We claim to follow the One who said love your enemies and turn the other cheek.

Then we send our sons and daughters off to war with the latest killing technology. To bomb our enemies instead of loving them. To kill their children, instead of welcoming them as if we were welcoming Jesus himself.

We claim to follow the One who rode in on a donkey instead of a war horse.

Then we ride in on tanks and attack helicopters and declare that we will "shock" and "awe" the Middle East into democracy and freedom.

Christians, we don't follow Jesus.

We admire Him. We worship Him. We "believe" in Him.

But we don't follow Him.

So, when it comes to the atrocities being committed by others, by radical Muslims, by terrorists and extreme fringe groups, and psychopaths, and murderers...we need to refocus on the violence we are responsible for before God.

That is the violence in our own hearts, and the military violence committed in our name by our governments.

As Jesus said, "...first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

A posture of humility and repentance is the only way forward when we are blinded by that great big log in our eyes.