January 9, 2015
Wednesday around noon, Central Europe Time, two gunmen forced their way into the office of a well-known satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, and gunned down and killed 12 people, shouting, “Allah Akbar!” and “We have avenged the Prophet!” Among the victims were journalists, sketchers, artists, police officers, and maintenance people. Others were wounded, some critically. Many others—particularly those who witnessed the attacks—remain in emotional and psychological shock.
Please Pray
There are really no words to describe this tragedy, and our first response is to pray to our merciful Father. We ask you to join us in praying for peace and comfort from our Lord for the families of those who have lost dear ones. Please also pray:
- For peace for our many North African friends, men and women of peace who are in fear and lost in the midst of this chaos.
- For our role in being agents of peace and witnesses for Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to our North African friends—to be wise and discerning in our discussions and conversations in witnessing to what is the true peace in Jesus.
- For peace in France and for the Lord’s Spirit to be poured out on France, a country dominated by secularism but where the influence of Islam is growing like never before.
- Against anti-Muslim sentiment reflected in recent violent incidents. Over the past 24 hours, a grenade exploded at a mosque, a small bomb was detonated in a restaurant owned by a Muslim (next to a mosque), and gunshots were fired into the windows of another mosque. Many French citizens are either afraid of or angry with Muslim people. Pray for peace among the diverse communities in France.
Amidst the chaos, we claim Zechariah’s words from Luke 1:78–79: “. . . because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
—From an Alliance worker in France