No words can encompass the horror experienced by innocent human beings - adults and children - in Sri Lanka. The fact that most victims were peacefully at worship in Catholic and a Protestant Christian churches just adds to the growing victimization of religious faithful - Muslim, Jewish, Christian, etc. - around the world. People of faith are increasingly finding themselves at risk.

In Sri Lanka, hundreds dead, more hundreds brutally injured and maimed in explosions caused by suicide bombers brain washed and equipped by fanatic partisans - ISIS. They somehow convinced themselves that their own death and the murder and brutalization of others would somehow advance some larger cause.

What cause? Praise of Allah?

Blasphemy! The Holy One of whatever religion can only rage and weep when innocents are blown apart and destroyed violently.

The Hebrew Scriptures of the Bible tell the story of Jonah, a Jewish prophet called to warn the city of Nineveh to repent from its evil ways and believe in the Holy One or face grave consequences. Jonah worked hard to avoid the assignment, but Divine ways have their effect. Not even being swallowed by a whale [of a story] could deflect him from the task. But Jonah didn't really believe the message given him and was counting on Nineveh to reject his words and carry on with its evil ways.

Surprise! The city heeded the Word and with its king, citizens put on sackcloth and sat in ashes as signs of repentance. God relented.

Ironically it made Jonah furious and even suicidal in his bitter disappointment that the city was saved. He didn't mind being a prophet, but certainly didn't want "those others" to escape judgement day's condemnation.

The story ends with the Holy One pleading for Jonah's better self to understand God's overwhelming love and pity for the 120,000 members of the human family Jonah would gleefully have seen exterminated!

God is often described as "the righteous One". To be sure the Divine craves justice as a pre-condition for the peace - Shalom, Salaam - which encompasses health, well-being, prosperity, respect, wholeness, unity, and the absence of hate.

But above all, God is love - the principal sign of the presence of God is love. Those who claim to be agents of God's judgement are liars when their actions are not rooted in love for the other and justice as the basis for peace. Anyone who shouts "God is great" or "Allah Akbar" and then proceeds to kill and maim other human beings is a criminal blasphemer and liar.

With the life-giving Spirit, people of faith trust and join with the Holy One who weeps for the huge losses experienced in Sri Lanka and heals with a love that knows no limits. The Good Friday - Easter story of Christian faith teaches us the transforming power of self-giving suffering love rising to the new life of the Risen Christ.