9/11

Folks,

We stand before September 11, a day that has changed the face of American history, forever, like DDay, Pearl Harbor, Kennedy assassination, and the Oklahoma City bombing. This day will forever be linked to airplanes, twin towers, and a new, anonymous enemy: terrorists that mask themselves as religious zealots. We all can tell someone where we were when that first plane chose a tower as its final resting place. It is a dark day in our history, but one that we have been given to carry and honor.

The question, for us, is what do we do with this piece of history, our national albatross? Will we continue to endorse violence and a war against a few, enabling our government to bomb, without discretion, innocent persons, in the name and just cause of "war on terror?" Will we question our neighbor because she wears a typical Islamic prayer covering? Will we refuse to let our Arabic friends come into our homes, because we fear their intentions, their religion, their last name? Or will we choose the way of faith?

To live lives of faith we must accept the challenge God has given us. We live in our context, facing the reality of an ongoing war on terror, knowing that our reality, our story, our narrative is a violent one, in this context we are thrust to the forefront asking tough theological questions. What do we do? In a typical marketing campaign: WWJD?

If we are disciples of Jesus, we must choose the road less traveled.

When revenge is the standard answer, we must forgive. When violence becomes easy, we must offer peace. And when fear knocks on our door, doing all it can to handicap and destroy us, we must find faith. Faith knows no fear. Faith knows and chooses God, above and beyond any other choice. The God who provides. The God who accepts. The God who loves. And the God, yes even this God, the forgiving God, the God who forgives even the most heinous act--even planes flown into towers and our pentagon.

Godly people refuse to burn a holy, righteous, and sacred text as a pastor in Florida wants to do. Godly people choose to accept, listen, and open the door for further conversations. Why? Because the God of creation, the God who says, "It is good," still demands we honor that which is good. Godly people welcome the stranger, love their enemies, and forgive those who hurt them. But not only that, Godly people add bricks to the kingdom, making sure that which was good, remains good and will always be good. And they do it, pointing to THE ONE, the only ONE, who sees what they do and honors that which is good.

Tomorrow is a dark day in our story, but as people of faith, we can use it as a springboard into the light of God. Amen..


Shalom, Salaam, Peace,

Jerry