Terror and love

The Archbishop of York has issued a

Statement of Condolence, Empathy and a Call to Prayer

Archbishop of York
Rt Revd Dr John Sentamu

I want to express my deep condolences to the families of those British holiday makers who were brutally murdered in Sousse, Tunisia. At times such as these, words can seem so limited and futile in the face of brutality and horror. To the bereaved and to those who were wounded in the attack - you are in the thoughts and prayers of many of us.

My thoughts also go to the family of the manager beheaded by his driver in Lyon, France; and to those murdered and injured in Kuwait.

There is a yearning amongst so many people to respond to these acts, to respond  in a way which builds up rather than destroys.

the statement continues here

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In one sense the terrorist seems successful. He not only killed but also deeply damaged tourism in Tunisia, made westerners hundreds of miles away more anxious and afraid, and reinforced everyone's instinct to make ourselves more secure, more insular. He furthered the goals of a particular conception of an Islamic Caliphate.

Against this I wish to affirm that, however improbably, love is greater. It is greater than hatred, violence, anxiety and fear. 

God's love is not an emotion. It does not wobble or flicker in the face of rejection., It may grieve in the face of callousness, ideology, violence, selfishness but it does not give up.

In the words of St Paul:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Love is the nature of God and, in the end, maybe beyond our experience, love will win out.