Attacks in Paris and our RESPONSES

(Nov 16) Already, there has been so much support shown worldwide! so many people, and so many nations and so many organizations,
stepped up to the plate and showed how much they care
and how much they love France and its people, it is very heartwarming.
So many relatives and friends of the victims have posted the most loving and moving tributes and open letters!
May they be blessed for showing us how to face such tragedies.

(Nov 25) I am putting below numerous links (and it is by no way a complete list, it is only the most basic one, but it is one that I keep coming back to it, because I need it):
- I start with a prayer with the Saints of Paris;
- I include many open letters or articles, very inspirational ones when faced with tragedies, when overwhelmed with grief, bewildered by incomprehensible violence and destruction;
- then I also included a video re Refugees;
- and one testimony re: strangers / foreigners, the changes that will happen when making a person-to-person contact with someone, even a complete stranger;
- the key words, the hashtag of the moment, the recurring phrase, locally and globally, was "Pray for Paris", which is the best invocation possible and great advice!
- and I finish with sound advice, theology - and anthropology - from Rene Girard!

(Dec 5) Terrorism and fear, refugees and flight, violence and scapegoating, it's all linked somehow! But more than anything else, we need to look at it from the light of Christ and follow his commandments of love of God and love of neighbor, and pray, and pray again and pray some more... We need to be clearer and more convincing about Christ and Christian values and how they should be welcomed by non-believers, by other religions or by atheists, if we all seek a common ground promoting peace and respect and freedom, where killing and torturing is prohibited, but instead where is the drive to foster the conditions where religious and humanist virtues can flourish, where dialogue and diplomacy can advance.

Litanie des Saints de Paris par la Communaute de Jerusalem here	Open Letter from Antoine Leiri here found on the BBC site	letter of Abbot Christian de Chergé before being decapitated here
Fabrice Hadjadj, on Love the center of Christian life here Lettre ouverte d'une jeune catholique de 18 ans here	A very moving testimony by Naomi Shihab Nye here	the recurring phrase, locally and globally, "Pray for Paris" was the best invocation possible!
Samaritan's Purse is an Evangelical nonprofit organization here	Patriarch Younan: the West has betrayed Christians here WHAT ISIS REALLY WANTS here	Rene Girard books! Mimetism and violence and such a fresh and profound look at our Western culture. My tribute to Girard here