Some witnesses to last week\u2019s massacre at Fort Hood say that the shooter cried \u201cAllahu Akbar\u201d before he began shooting. These reports send shudders up the spines of Americans everywhere, both Muslim and non-Muslim. The cry has become inextricably linked to acts of horrible violence and is translated in our deep psyche as, \u201cI\u2019m an armed, out-of-control Islamic fundamentalist and you\u2019re all going to die.\u201d The fact that it means \u201cGod is great!\u201d seems to have been lost on us all.<\/p>\n
Non-Muslims use the cry to point to the dangers of Islam; Muslims grieve over its misuse and associations of evil.<\/p>\n
The unexamined misfortune in this story and others like them is that \u201cGod is great!\u201d \u2013 a statement rich in worship, in humility, in celebration \u2013 has become synonymous with horror.<\/p>\n
Why have those of us who believe in God let such a beautiful affirmation turn into a monstrosity?<\/p>\n
The cry \u201cGod is great!!\u201d should precede acts of life. We should be shouting together \u201cGod is great!!\u201d before weddings and at the birth of a child; we should cry out \u201cGod is great!\u201d before a child\u2019s soccer game and when we climb a mountain and when we go on a Saturday morning bike ride.<\/p>\n
God is great \u2013 over coffee with a friend. God is great \u2013 reconnecting with family members. God is great \u2013 when I fall into bed exhausted. God is great \u2013 at work on a Monday morning. God is great \u2013 when I grade papers and answer the phone and do the dishes and fold laundry and rake the leaves. God is great \u2013 at my niece\u2019s school play. God is great \u2013 at my child\u2019s graduation.<\/p>\n
The greatness of God \u2013 Lifegiver, Lover, Exceeding Joy \u2013 should be snatched from the lips of those who plan violence and act out of a twisted sense of holiness. Reclaim it.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Some witnesses to last week\u2019s massacre at Fort Hood say that the shooter cried \u201cAllahu Akbar\u201d before he began shooting. These reports send shudders up the spines of Americans everywhere, both Muslim and non-Muslim. The cry has become inextricably linked to acts of horrible violence and is translated in our deep psyche as, \u201cI\u2019m an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":206,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[32,33,41],"class_list":["post-18","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-god","tag-goodness","tag-islam"],"yoast_head":"\n