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TERROR

Hassan Hotari is proud of his son, Saeed. What did Saeed do that made his father proud? Did he graduate from college? Find the cure for a disease? Or get a promotion at work? No.

On June 2, Saeed Hotari got out of a car at the Dolphin Disco in Tel Aviv—a nightclub that attracts Israeli teenagers. He went inside, walked over to a group of girls and detonated the explosive device that was strapped to his body, killing 21 people and injuring around 100.

When Hassan Hotari heard of his son's death, he said, "My prayer is that Saeed's brothers, friends and fellow Palestinians will sacrifice their lives too. There is no better way to show God you love him."

—Reader's Digest, October 2001, p. 81 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

This is the fifth or sixth time I've read the father's statement, and for the life of me, I still can't make any sense of it. How could a father find joy in a son's death? And how can he be proud of a son that killed innocent people?

Until September 11, 2001, I doubt if I would have paused over Hotari's statement, I would have just read it and shook my head and gone on. But when the 6:00 news comes home, somehow everything changes.

Today, I still have more questions than answers, but there is one thing I know for sure, killing innocent people doesn't show God you love Him. It just shows how much you really need God's love.

When we love God, we don't harm people, we take care of them.

John 21:16 NIV "Again Jesus said, 'Simon son of John, do you truly love me?' He answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."