1.9 Miles Close to Home

Because it's such a 'breaking news story' and because it's right down the road from me, I'll draw your attention to this associated press article.

"A man who authorities said wanted to commit acts of "violent jihad" against civilians was charged Friday in a plot to set off hand grenades in garbage cans at a shopping mall, authorities said." You can read the rest of the article here.

That shopping mall is my mall. The one I go to for coffee on my way to school, the one I worked at last year, the one that is my mall. He was planning to attack on Friday the 22nd when the mall would be chock full with all the holiday shoppers in this, the second largest city in the state.

There are times that I get frustrated with the current war on terror and by no means do I claim to be up-to-date on what's going on with the politics of the day; however, this does make me realize that there is a threat, that people do want to kill lots of other people for religious reasons. Now this man was acting alone and is not affiliated with an organization, so there's no clear group enemy just a single extremist. I'm not sure what that would mean for national politics.

However, for locals, it makes me wish that this guy had been loved more. A person who is truly loved and accepted can't do these sorts of things, can he? I love my church here, and I am excited by its mission, by its message. They (We!) believe that people matter to God and they should be loved like Jesus loved. Is it naive to hope that a difference can be made through this institution? That the community can becoming more loving and accepting, so that hate won't drive people to actions like setting of grenades in a crowded mall?