Dear Sir,

The internationally circulated images of American journalist James Foley, apparently moments away from a barbaric execution, have moved me to respond to you, for there are some things about my world that I think are worth considering.

First, I don’t know why you are hiding behind that mask. What is there for you to be afraid of? 

We live in what is sometimes called an open society. That means that there are many different beliefs and ideas holding currency in our culture, and we work at making them co-exist. 

Not all of them are necessarily good, but we must work and live with people with whom we often profoundly disagree about the most important questions in life.

But with courtesy and grace, we learn to do it. 

For instance, I am a Protestant Christian, and I work alongside Catholic Christians, non-

Christians and Muslims – the latter of whom, by the way, I am sure would want to distance themselves from what you call Islam.

But you and I actually hold something in common: the belief that our way is the right way to live. 

Having said that, I will not therefore seek to shout you down, belittle or silence you, or force you to convert to my way on pain of violence. 

If I did that, wouldn’t I be taking God’s place? And if I did, would that method be likely to win me many converts?

And finally, you need to know that many Christians will be praying for you and for your fellow-militants. 

But let me be specific. We will not be praying for revenge, or that you go to Hell, or that your people will “drown in rivers of blood”. 

Rather, we will be praying that you will experience the extraordinary power of forgiveness, as shown to all peoples through Jesus Christ the Son of God, and his atoning death on the cross. 

This is because it is forgiveness that is the most transforming power in the universe – not fear.

Take the mask off.