On the 14 May 2018, while listening to the radio, I heard about the coordinated suicide bombings, carried out, on three Christian churches in Indonesia. What shocked me was that these attackers intentionally used their own children, as young as 9, to either, carry and detonate explosives or accompany their parents carrying out the attacks. My immediate thought was, ‘What is wrong with these people??!’. What parent would sacrifice their children to God? Then I realised that Christians do it!
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12)
We Christians teach our children to sacrifice themselves daily to God because Jesus sacrificed himself for us (v.1). We encourage our children, and indeed each other, not to conform their thinking and actions to those around them but to God (v.2).
Suicide bombing is pathetic; not simply because of its evil end, but because you only have to be brave once. However, being a living sacrifice, living for Christ, not conforming, on a daily basis, takes courage! Any idiot can press a button once, but a real martyr lives for God daily.
Suicide bombers sacrifice themselves in hope of personal salvation; we sacrifice ourselves in hope of the salvation of others.
Denis Oliver