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“I’m Angry, Too”

A reader (thanks, Jen!) sent us this blog post by Rachel Pieh Jones, an ex-pat from Minnesota living in Djibouti. She has some incredibly insightful and sad thoughts about the hateful responses to the recent protests and threats going on in other countries (and our own). We hope that as Christians we can contribute thoughtful and loving voices to all of this hate.

From her blog:

I’m not going to make a movie. I’m not going to kill anyone.

 

I’m going to ask my Muslim friends how they feel about the film and current events. I’m going to apologize on behalf of a man with whom I share nationality, if nothing else. This might sound foolish but yesterday one of my husband’s friends apologized for the murder of Ambassador Stevens. Another American living in the Middle East was at a store when the shopkeeper apologized for the burning of the US embassy in Egypt. It isn’t foolish. It is humble and that’s a good thing, its humbling and that’s also a good thing.

 

I’m going to pray and I’m going to hope and I’m going to trust and I’m going to pursue the path of peace.
Image by John S. Quarterman.  Sourced via Flickr

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