When Omar Mateen stormed the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando USA last Sunday with an AR-15 type rifle and a handgun what was he on about?

Was it an absurd passion for Islamic State or a bizarre longing for the establishment of a fundamentalist Muslim Caliphate? Or was it a sinister hatred for gay people and a destructive abhorrence for the freedom the Western world so deeply values? Whatever his motivation, Omar Mateen brutally executed 49 innocent people while a further 53 lay seriously injured.

Closer to home, the gunning down of an employee outside the Parramatta Police Centre by a 15 year old youth in October last year continues to cause alarm. Moreover, the reported call by a senior member of Islamic State back in September 2014 to carry out a campaign of public beheadings in Sydney and Brisbane no doubt terrifies us all.

We live in a dangerous world. It’s easy to feel threatened. It’s normal to loathe those who perpetuate such horrific crimes. It’s natural to seek retaliation and to advocate tough justice.

Feeling threatened is not a new experience. It’s been with us since time began. I remember growing up during the period of the “Cold War” when an imminent nuclear attack from the Soviet Union was deeply feared. This created an icy “face-off” between the Eastern Bloc and the West with the massive stockpile of nuclear weapons.

And then there was fear of the so-called “red menace” and the perceived downward thrust of communism from Asia. This took us into that tragic war in Vietnam. Moreover, in more recent years, there was alarm over weapons of mass destruction and our subsequent military intervention into the mire of Iraq.

How do we deal with such fears – whether they be real or perceived?

The Gospel speaks of love. In the person of Jesus Christ we are challenged to pursue a different path – the path of reconciliation and peace.

The Good News of Jesus calls on us to follow a different way – the way of mercy and grace, a way that says no to violence and to retribution.

In a world that continues to frighten us and, indeed, haunt us, what does this all mean for you – as you follow Jesus?

John Barr