Just as our plane was taking off from Charles De Gaulle Airport a team of Muslim extremists attacked the editorial offices of a French news publication in Paris. We did not hear of this, of course, until we landed in Seattle Washington but I have to say I am deeply saddened by this turn of events.

The first reaction was where is Paris. Having lived there we know the city a bit but more importantly we were concerned about our children and grandchildren. No mention of any others involved in the shootings, mind you, but parents can't help themselves. They were all safe. Trevor was out of the city at one of his sites and Sophie was not working in the office on Wednesday so she was home with the granddaughters. Panic ensued however, subways were shut down, traffic was snarled, sirens were everywhere for several hours. Then it calmed down.

I confess that I don't understand a religion that feels the killing so many people over a cartoon was revenge. My God says that vengeance is His. He tells us to love those around us and to show compassion. I don't understand an god that tells his people to kill others over words or images. There has to be a better way to win people over to your view than to kill them if they don't come. There has to be a real way to convince me or others that your religion is right other than to kill innocents. My God would not do that. Even as I write this there are Christians around the world praying for the men who committed this act, praying that they would come to find a God who is loving and accepting of them as they are, in spite of what they did.

How does one find a way to forgive this kind of atrocity or at lest those who commit it. I am always reminded at times like these of the Amish community in Pennsylvania who lost their daughters to a gunman who opened fire at their school. If they can forgive that, if they can feel love for his family and pray for them then surely I can learn to be more forgiving too. But, for now, I am still recovering from the sinking feeling in my heart as I heard of the shootings in Paris while I stood in line customs in Seattle.

Just my random thoughts,