Don’t Allow this Terrorist Attack in New York To Make You Hate!

Evil is found in every culture, people, and religion. We cannot judge everyone according to the acts of one or a few. As I was getting upset, and rightly so, at the senseless killing of innocent people in New York today. I was strongly reminded of my trip to Europe two years ago. This passage came to mind. I would like to share with you found in Matthew 7:12 which states, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Ruth and I were in Venice, headed for Austria. Italy is hard getting around their transportation places. We were lost and wandering around, going up and down stairs with our suitcases, trying to find our EuroRail. It had taken already a hour going around and around the station. I couldn’t find anyone to help us. Finally, I saw this Muslim family. I assumed they spoke English. I went to the younger woman, and asked her in English if she knew how to get to my EuroRail? To my surprise, she replied back in Italian letting me know she didn’t speak English. “It’s ok,” I told her, “I speak Italian. I am Italian.” Meanwhile the whole family was now talking to me. They introduced themselves to me. The mother, her two sons, and one of the sons wife, and three children.

Immediately, they started speaking Arabic amongst themselves. The guy then said in Italian, “We will help you. Follow us.” They were strangers to me. At first, I thought, I don’t know these people. So, I said a very brief prayer in my mind, “God what do I do? I am desperate and now we might miss our train.” I felt God say, “Its ok, trust them. One of her sons sent his mother, the woman, and the three children in the elevator with Ruth and I. They took the stairs. We got to the platform. He walked me to the platform where we were supposed to be. He said, “Do not move from this place. Stay here. Your train will arrive in 20 minutes. Be careful. I took you to where I am sure you will be safe and unharmed by anyone. Nice meeting you.” He left for his train.

A few minutes later, another man came to me and said, “Where are you going?” I told him Austria. He told me, “You are not in the right place.” You need to go another place. Ruth and I looked at each other confused. I was about to leave. When the Muslim man who had brought me there, happened to be passing by with the train he was on. He yelled out from the window, “Where are you going?” Mind you the train is moving, slowly, but moving. I told him, “The guy said we are in wrong place?” The man said, “Do Not go with that man! Stay where I told you to stay. You are not safe. He then proceeded to hop from the train he was on, leaving his family in it to come to help me and Ruth, a total stranger. Meanwhile the other man left.

I can’t remember his name so let’s call him Hassan for now. Hassan said, “Please, trust me. I want to be sure you are ok. Please remain here. I am sure, sure, sure, your train is coming here. Do you want me to stay with you? I don’t want you to get hurt. I will stay here and wait for your train to come and I will meet up with my family later.” I saw the faces of his family, as they were in the train, and the train was slowly pulling out. I didn’t want them to worry. I felt so strongly to trust this total stranger. I told him, “Thank you. You are kind, but I will be ok. I will stay here.” He told me, “Please promise me you will not go anywhere. You can tell you are not from here, and you can be hurt. Just stay here, I promise you, here you will be safe.” He said goodbye and went running after the EuroRail. He then was hanging out the window making sure I understood I should remain where he told me to stay. Asking me again, “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you?”

He was right, and 15 minutes later my EuroRail arrived, and I was headed to Florence to pick up our bus for Austria. So many times I think about that family and that man. He didn’t have to help me. He didn’t have to jump out of a moving train to come to be sure I wasn’t leaving with that other man that told me I was in the wrong place. Who knows what the other guy was up to.

My point in writing this tonight is that we cannot judge everyone by the evil done in New York City by a person or an organization of evil people. Please, let us keep this passage in our hearts. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.”

Let us not start the path of division and hate. Let us rather come together, uniting each other, respecting each other, and caring for each other. Let us showcase love instead of hate. Let us denounce evil of all kind and go out of our ways to build friendships with all those who come across our path.

God is love, and we are to portray his love unconditionally. It’s called Agape love, the highest form of love. Can we love each other this way? That Muslim man and his family showed me clearly he cared about my well being. He jumped off a moving EuroRail to come to my rescue and willing to stay behind just to be sure I was going to be safe. I will never ever forget that man. I want to be like him. He showecased very well Agape love for a total stranger.

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