The Lord has been impressing on me the importance of healing the breach between Catholic and Christians of other denominations. William Potter, a historian, notes “Whenever Christianity is in schism, Islam creeps in.” It sounds like a headline from Europe, once a bastion of Christianity, now experiencing jihad by migration.
In 732, God raised up a great leader, Charles ‘the Hammer’ Martel, who successfully resisted the invading Islamic hordes cascaded over the Pyrenees to take Europe at the Battle of Tours. Historians agree, if he had not stood firm, Christendom in Europe would have fallen. Which would have meant no monasteries to protect and disseminate learning in the middle ages, no missionaries to reach out to a New World, no universities, hospitals, schools, care for the orphan and widow, advancement of the cause of women. Not in a society which at the time had no word for ‘citizen’ or ‘freedom.’
We need a Charles Martel in our time. In fact, united Christianity IS the Charles Martel of our time. While there are many differences between Catholicism and other denominations of Christianity, we have in common Christ Incarnate, Christ Crucified, Christ Resurrected. That is enough for now.
Like 1300 years ago, our aim is to retain the freedom of our culture, free from sharia laws, free from terrorism, free from fear of capital retribution for speaking out against Islam, and freedom to express our own religion without being penalized.
Did you know St. Francis of Assisi was beaten and chained after he boldly entered the Islamic camp (after the Christians had been soundly routed), to evangelize the Sultan? But Francis did not shout and scream at the Muslim army, and neither should we. He shared with them Christ’s love, Christ’s mercy, and the joy of salvation, and for some reason we attribute to grace, he was not executed. It is said the Sultan converted on his deathbed because of Francis’ reflection of the love of Jesus. Considering the language barrier, what must St. Francis have done to convince the Sultan of God’s love? And what can we do, to stand firm as a united Christian community, disallowing the expulsion of Christian values from society and simultaneously showing true unconditional love for our fellow creatures?
Here is a plea for us, Catholic and Evangelical, to join forces, work together and boldly carry out the Great Commission with LOVE to the Muslims of the world. They already know violence and hatred. How can we show them that love, not revenge, conquers the world?
Those are the weapons of our warfare, love and boldness.
Where is Charles?
He guarded the heart of a nation,
Civilization’s outermost rim
Whene’er Christianity
Schisms apart
Islam creeps stealthily in.
He stood on a high wall, a watchman
Commanding a small group of men
Europe’s worsening plight
Compelled his brave fight
And by grace, he never gave in.
“You spirit of death and of slavery,
You suppressor of freedom and truth!
Who persuades the men
To do less than they can,
You reckless infector of youth!
“For war you have come to my culture
And many on both sides will die
For you will not stop
‘Til you’ve conquered the world
And I’ll not stand idly by.”
Whither, O whither our Charles?
History’s Charles Martel?
Here again are the hordes
And the scimitar’d lords
Upon whom the great ‘Hammer’ fell.
Where is our modern day Charles?
And his army, true men of great might?
Silenced by political cowardice?
Are they lost in electronic delight?
Apathetic Christians awaken!
Answer the rallying cry!
If good men won’t fight
In our own ‘long, dark, night,’
Our culture will certainly die.
Where is the Charles who’s needed?
On your skills and your talents I call.
The love Christ has given
Alone heals the schism
Without which, the Kingdom will fall.
