9-1-1

Who can forget where one was September 1, 2001? Terror struck New York and Washington, and its ripples shot through the rest of the States.

The smallest child is taught to call 9-1-1 in an emergency. Whether intentional or accidental, the date called out this emergency.

Yet out of horror, beauty sprung up as we saw the bravery of men and women risking their lives before and after the towers fell. We truly wept with those who wept.



For a minute, all of America came together. People flooded into churches to find something greater than themselves. And in many parts of the world, nations looked on us with compassion and friendship instead of distant mocking.

It is strange to look at what has happened these past nine years. Steering away from the political realm, it grieves me to see the misrepresentation of Christianity by pastors burning the Koran. Bigger plans for this were thankfully abandoned. Yet, I think of the Bible's blatant command:

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:15-16)

Being known by love and reaching out in forgiveness to their enemies is what Jesus and His followers modeled. The great irony in Emperor Nero's reign was his maligning Christians for burning Rome, cannibalism, etc., yet they reacted in love and died gallantly.

Today, I fear that many pastors, more or less their congregations, do not know the God of the Bible or what He taught. We have embraced the god of our own understanding and religiously clung to him, split churches over the colour of his carpets, slammed shut the hearts of the searching by our selfishness and pride. Some have made patriotism, politics or a political party a religion, and they are more devoted to preaching their good opinion than to sharing the Good News.

If we don't know Yahweh, how can we make Him known to a world that is empty and aching? We slander Him by our very eagerness to serve Him without knowing Him, Oswald Chambers so rightly said.

What will it take to awaken us again? Will a third world war have to happen? Will we lose religious freedom before we realize how much we've lost? Will we bring on persecution by our flaunting of our rights before those who hate us?

If you know the God of the Bible, make Him known. But honour Him with your gentle love and respect for all those He died to save.