We watched as Paris was under siege of an outbreak of violence. The hearts of Parisians are aflame. The dregs of humanity reached into the bosom of a city and clenched its heart in acts of terror. 

I try to have faith in humanity and its ability to prevail in dark times like these, when people are terrorized and taking cover. It's heartbreaking to read updates of death tolls and feel the panic in the air. People like the ones responsible for the heinous attack chip away at my hope. 

However, the aftermath of these situations – the fearmongering, the Islamophobia, the xenophobia – also reveal the lack of humanity in the world. When we hear of these tragedies, we quickly look for the target of blame. Without questioning, without confirmation, we blamed Muslims for the attack. And now that those fears have been confirmed, we lash out with our bigotry. People of Christian Faith are rushing to condemn and antagonize innocent people who had nothing to do with the attacks, as if Christianity has not often been the sword that has left rivers of blood in the street. We call for vengeance masquerading as justice, usurping the power of the God we claim to honor.