I am...

Charlie
Events in Paris shocked the country. Our small town continued on normally, even as news reports kept us updated on the latest and kept us in suspense until the resolution of the initial situation. There was a march of unity in our downtown, and while getting our daily bread at the boulangerie, I participated in a emotionally-moving moment of silence. All the bakers dusted off their flour-covered aprons, the machines for slicing bread were turned off, and the vendors stopped putting croissants in paper bags. They all came out into the area where the customers were standing and we, together, stood and became silent.

On a political level, of all the things we value, the US and France probably are most similar in the value we both place upon the right of free speech. More than the UK, more than any other country...We are most like France in this way. And as such, quite a few of us were embarrassed by the lack of a high-ranking US representative in Paris. It was talked about, but most of our French friends just avoided that altogether. I saw one of my volleyball friends give his friend a look when the subject turned to the US and they both became quiet.

We discussed in our class, briefly, that the magazine writes/draws very offensive material, but against "tout le monde" everyone. So although we dislike its message, we would never want our freedoms taken away. And simplistically, the reason our western culture does not get physically defensive over Christian-bashing, is that we value truth above all in our culture. So we may verbally defend the truth of the message, and emphatically. On the contrary, other cultures value honor above all. Arguing does not necessarily resolve the dishonor brought upon them. Honor, in some cases and for some people, must be avenged and payed for.

Lastly, the phrase "Je Suis Cha rlie" has been everywhere. It means, "I am Charl ie." Not "My name is Charlie," but I am that person or thing. If you mess with [insert person or thing], then you are messing with me. Just like Jesus tells us that He became one of us so that He could be sin for us, and then take it away, along with our guilt and shame. So that when the Father looks at us, He sees Jesus. We, undeservedly, have Jesus saying "I am Shannon," and "I have payed for her," and then the Father readily says, "Welcome into My Presence, my perfect child."