RESPONDING TO THE BONDI BEACH SHOOTING: 4 redemptive paths shaped by Jesus

Matthew 5:38-48  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’  But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.  And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 

The well-preached “Sermon on the Mount” was not a sermon—it was a summons.  It was a divine manifesto—a new path for a new people. To call it merely a “sermon” is to miss the thunder in the voice of Jesus and the fire in His words.

The Beatitudes, the call to love enemies, the warnings against hypocrisy in the name of religion—all of it pointed to a radical reorientation of the way we think, the way speak and the way we live.

And especially the way we respond… to tragedies like the past weekend at Bondi Beach, Australia

THE FAMILIAR RESPONSE

The headlines after the Bondi Beach attack told a familiar story—shock, grief, anger, and calls for justice. Some demanded tighter security. Others cried out for stricter immigration laws with blanket accusations on anyone from “the outside”.  Still others retreated into fear and sought to demonise a whole religion – Islam – for the transgressions of two. For many the narrative was simple:  Israel was once again the victim of evil conspiracies, plots and schemes aimed against the nation of God.   The tension became fuel to ignite a cycle of accusations that had no beginning and will have no end.

Within the Christian community, solidarity with Israel was renewed, along with fresh justification for a Gaza conflict that has troubled the region far too long. A few self-appointed theologians even sought to stitch prophecy onto an act of terror.

These are deeply human responses—grief, fear, anger—understandable in the wake of violence. We mourn with the families, ache with the wounded, and wrestle with the unrelenting questions of safety and justice.

But WHAT IF?

THE RADICAL ALTERNATIVE

As Christians, we should be led by a different narrative. Into this swirl of emotions, Jesus speaks words that sound almost impossible: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

The question that should be at the foremost of our responses, even before we succumb to our human knee-jerk reactions of hatred and revenge, is: What if?

• What if we took Jesus seriously?
• What if we took the words of Jesus as a literal command and not only an inspiring sermon topic?
• What if we whisper forgiveness before we shout condemnation?
• What if our first instinct was not retaliation, but intercession?
• What if we obeyed Jesus’s command to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us?
• What if mercy, not vengeance, became our basic instinct?
• What if love was stronger than fear?
• What if prayer was our protest?
• What if vigils included prayers not only for victims, but for the attacker’s family?
• What if communities refused to let hatred define them, choosing forgiveness as their witness?
• What if media narratives highlighted mercy as much as outrage?
• What if the way of Jesus was not just preached, but practiced?
• What if redemptive justice took precedence over retaliatory justice?

WHAT IF?

• No, this will not be the popular response in a world baptised with fear, suspicion and hatred. Sadly, even amongst believers, this narrative will be hard to swallow and nearly impossible to follow.
• No, this is not weakness. It is obedience. It is the radical strength of love that refuses to be conquered by fear.
• No, this is not a fluffy faith that places love before truth. It is the words of the One who embodied Truth and told His followers to live, act and respond with a different spirit.

SO, WHAT IS THE WAY OF A LIFE SURRENDERED TO CHRIST

When Jesus reinterprets the law in the Sermon on the Mount, He doesn’t offer a moral upgrade or a religious checklist. He invites us into a radical transformation—a complete reorientation of our identity, desires, and direction.

But not every spiritual-looking path leads to Him.

Jesus’ repeated phrase “You have heard that it was said… but I tell you…” in Matthew 5 reveals four spiritual paths—only one of which leads to true transformation. He contrasts external compliance with internal renewal, exposing the limits of religion and the invitation to radical discipleship.

Let’s explore how each of the four paths appears in Jesus’ own words (adapted from a Richard Rohr devotion):

1. It’s not the Old Self on the Old Path

This is the path of confession without conversion.
You say you follow Jesus, but your life mirrors the world around you.

• Example: You respond to the Bondi Beach attack as a Christian, but your speech is still filled with bias, hatred, and anger.
• Result: Your confession of Christ is real, but it hasn’t touched your heart. You wear the label of faith, but grace hasn’t reshaped your life.

2. It’s not the Old Self on a New Path

This is the path of religious enthusiasm without inner renewal.  This path is where most religion begins and ends.
You discover a new path and a new faith that moves you emotionally. You love Jesus and the message of salvation, but your core self remains part of the old self and unchanged.

• Example: You know scripture, you pray, and you love singing worship songs. You feel inspired. But your worldview—how you see others, especially your enemies—is still shaped by the old self of fear, ego, and control.
• Result: You’ve adopted new practices, but your old self is still in charge. Religion becomes a spiritual costume, not a new creation.

3. It’s not the New Self on the Old Path

This is the path of misaligned transformation.
You’ve had a genuine encounter with God. Your heart is awakened. But you try to live out this new life using the same old systems and motivations of the old path.

• Example: You feel called to love and serve, but you still look at others through the lenses of the world.  You use your newfound zeal to argue theology or defend your denomination, fuelled by the same anger and pride you once used in secular debates.  It is a sincere devotion but a misguided devotion.
• Result: The new self is real, but it’s trapped in old frameworks. The transformation is stunted.

4. It’s the New Self on a New Path

This is the path Jesus calls us to—total transformation.
Here, your identity, desires, and direction are all reshaped by love, grace acceptance.

• Example: You begin to see others as beloved children of God. You forgive freely, serve joyfully, and live with purpose beyond yourself. Your truth is now determined by love and not the other way round, you move from control to compassion.
• Result: You walk in step with the Spirit. Your life becomes a living testimony of grace, humility, and love. You are not just changed—you are being continually transformed.

PRACTICAL IMAGINATION

Imagine if churches across the city gathered not only to mourn, but to pray for the one who caused the mourning. Imagine if our social media feeds were filled with words of blessing instead of curses. Imagine if our children grew up hearing that love is stronger than fear, that prayer is more powerful than retaliation.

 

Such imagination may sound naïve to the world. But to Jesus, it is the narrow road that leads to life.