Could You Love a Terrorist?

How could the world forget the images of men dressed in orange jumpsuits marching single file onto a Libyan beach at the hands of ISIS captors? The 2015 video showed 21 Coptic Christians walking silently with hands tied behind them as each victim was led by a masked, knife-wielding member of ISIS. Like a carefully choreographed horror film, the men were forced to kneel as the lead terrorist held his knife in the air in a sign of triumph over these bound Christians. After a short interlude, they were all beheaded.

What was not recorded on that despicable ISIS video were the days of intense abuse mixed with prayer and supernatural events that accompanied their refusal to deny Jesus. That story is now being told to the world in a new animated short film simply called, The 21, (the21film.com).

While the ISIS video was intended as terrorist propaganda, The 21 project gives a much-needed account of the true spiritual victory won by these martyred Christians. What makes the film so compelling is that it was developed based on extensive research and conversations with family members and Coptic clergy who had known the 21 martyrs.

Recently, on The Stand Radio, I interviewed Mandi Hart, one of the producers of The 21. As we talked about the rich historic roots of faith in the Egyptian Coptic community and the carefully chosen details in the film, I asked her what aspect of the project had the most impact personally.

She recalled, “When we were with the martyrs’ families in Egypt at the end of January to share the film with them before it became publicly available, it really was incredible to see their response. And from the very beginning, when the ISIS video first came out, their reaction was one of forgiveness. They have such pride in their men for staying true to the end, but they also deeply desire that the perpetrators of this heinous act would come to faith and recognize who Jesus is.”

Mandi Hart’s experiences with these Coptic Christians mirror what is common in areas of Christian persecution around the world. While the Western response to persecution is frequently motivated by self-defense and preservation of property, believers in hostile nations are often vivid illustrations of what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:43-45).

The powerful truth behind this kind of love is seen in the phrase, “that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” A love that would motivate a Coptic Christian to offer forgiveness and love for a terrorist is surely evidence of conformation to the heart of God.

King Solomon, with his wealth of wisdom, wrote concerning the impact of love toward enemies. “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you” (Proverbs 25:21-22).

Reflecting on Solomon’s words in his commentary on Proverbs, Charles Bridges (1794-1869) wrote that “hearts melt under the mighty energy of patient, self-denying, burning love.” But, even if our enemies fail to understand the love shown to them, Bridges said we shouldn’t be concerned, “The Lord will reward you. The God of love will honor His own image on His own children.”

The obvious truth here is love and forgiveness for our enemies is an attitude that can’t be explained apart from the supernatural work of God in the human heart. Thankfully, this truth wasn’t lost on the ISIS terrorists. At least one of them came to faith in Jesus Christ and provided much of the eyewitness testimony for the film The 21.

Mandi Hart said, “One of the things that has just been burned into my mind's eye is imagining the moment in heaven when that former member of ISIS arrives and those 21 are there to meet him. Only in Christ can you have that moment of brotherhood between the murderer and the victim.  And Coptic Christians don't have a victim mentality. They have such a triumphant perspective and posture, and it's just been so beautiful and inspiring to see.”

We haven’t yet experienced the same level of persecution in America as our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. But the testimony of these 21 Coptic Christians and their families reminds us that our calling is to represent our heavenly Father to everyone – even our enemies. And the way we’re to do that is by offering forgiveness and love, even when it costs us deeply.