Norway’s 9/11

The early reports are disturbing. They violate the familiar us-them dichotomies we (think we) know how to live with – christian/muslim, democratic/marxist, us/them, sane/crazy.
The New York Times article includes this haunting quote:

Thomas Hegghammer, a terrorism specialist at the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, said the manifesto bears an eerie resemblance to those of Osama bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders, though from a Christian rather than a Muslim point of view. Like Mr. Breivik’s manuscript, the major Qaeda declarations have detailed accounts of the Crusades, a pronounced sense of historical grievance and calls for apocalyptic warfare to defeat the religious and cultural enemy.
“It seems to be an attempt to mirror Al Qaeda, exactly in reverse,” Mr. Hegghammer said.

When you enter into rivalry with someone, you become their twin, their mirror, their imitator.
As read the chilling accounts, I couldn’t help but think of something I heard a friend say recently, regarding the situation in Israel-Palestine. The line of difference (I’m paraphrasing) doesn’t run between Christian, Jew, and Muslim, but between Christians, Jews, and Muslims who want to work for peace using nonviolent means and those who don’t.
How do we break out of the mirror-cycles of violence that Norway has now experienced first-hand, and that violent Muslims and Christians alike are reinforcing when they plot ways to achieve peace through violence? We need another model to imitate, which is another way to describe Jesus as Savior.