Calming the storm...

In 2001 the world in which we live began to change when a series of coordinated terrorist attacks took place in the US. On this 10th Anniversary of that day in September I am posting the sermon I preached the following Sunday entitled: 'Calming the Storm'.

Some thoughts on the WTC/Pentagon disaster.

Let me preface these remarks with the fact that I am an American and the events of the past week have hit home to me in a way that I could not have imagined. Secondly I have experienced first-hand the uncertainty of whether or not a family member or friend is still alive as our son’s godfather works in Washington DC with the US Navy and Flossie has a cousin who works in Manhattan only a block or so away from the WTC. It would be some 16 hours after the initial event before we were assured that this cousin was alive and well after having spent her day as part of the thousands of people evacuated from their offices and lost for hours.

So how could this happen…The Herald-Sun (a local paper for overseas readers) had a great headline…’They seemed such ordinary people’. How could this happen? Simply because the source of this evil…not race, politics, religion… but the heart of human beings. The Bible repeats this point over and over…a brief selection…Psalm 58:2…Matthew 15:18-20 out of the heart…Jeremiah 9:14 the stubbornness of their hearts…Ecclesiastes 9:3 madness in their hearts. A Lutheran Theologian in Germany after WW2 was asked if it were possible for another Hitler to one day rule Germany. He replied, “Yes, because I know the evil that dwells in me.” So as a Christian I need to recognize this simple fact…the ‘war’ (if you wish to call it that) is against sin...principalities…powers….none of which will succumb to military action.

A second question that came to mind for me….Where or what is the basis of faith...what do we trust...what is basis of our security as individuals, nation, world. The outpouring of grief and fear seems to indicate that by and large we look to Economic, military, political or simply the world we attempt to build around ourselves with family, friends, work, leisure as the basis of our faith. The events of the past week demonstrate quite clearly how transient these all are and how quickly the seemingly immovable and indestructible can be both moved and destroyed. In the stilling of the storm recorded in Mark 4:35-41 there is the call to faith. Jesus highlights that what your eye perceives and what you experience is not always basis of reality. Rather he calls his disciples and us to believe…to trust…in the certain hope…and promise that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is ours in Jesus Christ.

Now let’s get practical….some don’ts and do’s…the don’ts are fewer so I will start with those.

Do not assume/think/believe that anyone deserves violence done to their nation or person...not the US...not Afghanistan. I have read letters to the editors in the papers…read graffiti…heard the comments made to my sons at high school and TAFE…that America deserved this. Let me state categorically that no one…no nation…no individual…deserves to have violence done to their nation or person. This applies across the range of race, creed, colour, politics. For if we place ourselves in judgment over another that they deserve this or that, then we are setting ourselves up to be judged by God on the basis of the same standard and quite frankly I would rather face the wrath of a terrorist or a military power than the wrath of God. If I judge then I will be judged and before God without Christ I am toast.

Do not desire revenge. Vengeance is God’s arena, not ours and the trouble is that if we act out of vengeance we desert the moral high ground and lower ourselves to the level of the very people we are condemning. A New York firefighter put it so well when he highlighted that he did not have time to be angry or think of revenge as his first call was to search for survivors and get on with rebuilding the place. A good perspective to hold for all of us. The desire for revenge ultimately consumes the person who is seeking revenge for they allow the bitterness and angry to rule their life. Let us not fall into this trap either.

Do not condone racist behaviour against nationality, creed or colour. Sadly innocent Muslim communities around the world are now becoming the target of violence and reprisals. Now is the time to stand with these communities against this racial vilification. It is time to (quote Tony Blair here)’stand shoulder to shoulder’ with the Muslim communities around the world…not just the US. They are no happier about this sort of extremist behaviour than the US or its allies are.

Do not assume violence is the best/only response. We now have a chance to build new relationships with many of the Arab/Muslim countries who are appalled by this act of terrorism against the US. Why waste this opportunity to build new alliances on questionably effective military action against one individual which will simply make him more of a martyr for the extremist movements? I noticed that most of the Muslim countries do not see military action as the best solution. Is the US and its European allies falling into the trap of a Vietnam type experience again…if we throw enough money and enough military hardware against it that will solve the problem. I don’t think so.

So what can we do?

If there is a call to action it is found here in Romans 12:9-21 (please read it) This can be summarized with a single verse…

Overcome evil with good

How does this work out…a few examples…
• pray…for those who planned and committed the crime…for the victims and families…for government leaders of all nations…for presence and peace of God…pray for the terrorists and their families and their nations and their leaders that they would see the light of the loving God who does not demand their sacrifice, but has willingly sacrificed his Son that they might have life.
• condemn the criminal act…most certainly…but only the crime…not the individual
• seek those who have committed this crime…it is not only a right, but a responsibility.
• seek to bring them to justice…not just to justice…but we need to seek justice ‘for’ them as well. They also have rights under the law and if we do not do everything in our power to insure that these are preserved for them then we again desert the moral high ground and lower ourselves to the very level of activity that we are so busy condemning.
• insure that the response does not add to the cycle of violence. Violence creates more violence so let us work to insure that our response as individuals and as a nation does not continue this cycle, but breaks into the cycle with a different and better way of resolving the situation.
• in all things exercise patience…to insure a complete investigation…to allow time to gather evidence…to insure that our reaction is a thoughtful and thought-through response and not a simple knee-jerk emotional ‘lets go hit somebody’ type of response.

Also…
• examine the situations and policies that have given rise to such feelings of desperation and bitterness and seek to make a change in those policies to correct any injustices
• examine your personal lifestyle for ways in which my choices can indirectly promote oppression or abuse in other countries…and my own country…and make the change
• examine myself.
Have I wept for the deaths of others...ie Arabs, Muslims, Israelis, etc...with as much intensity and grief or have I fallen into the trap of thinking that it always happens there (but not here or the US)?

Is my grief in the lives lost and the senselessness of the killing or the loss of a my own security through the loss of a symbol of that security?

• forgive…forgive…forgive...yourself and others... including the "terrorists"....remember one person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter...it is a question of perception
• work for change...repent…not feel sorrow, but actively work to make the change.
o in your life (attitudes and actions)
o in the nation (your voice & vote)
o in the world (your nation, your voice, your vote)



The Bible does not call us to understand evil (or even the will of God for that matter) but to respond in the manner, mind and spirit of Christ...