9/11

Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light (Micah 7:8).

We have dates that live in infamy.  December 7th, when a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor killed more than 24 hundred people.  November 22nd, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in public on a Texas street.  September 11th, when terrorists used hijacked airliners to kill nearly 3,000 people. Many of us can remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when these terrible acts of violence took place. Each of these tragic events changed us and our nation forever.

With people committing random acts of violence in stores, schools and movie theaters, do you feel safe?  Do you still resent people from Japan because of WWII?  Because of terrorism, do you hate or fear people of the Muslim faith?  Does it seem to you as if the world is on the brink of disaster, and at any moment something could go terribly wrong?  Anger, fear, and despair—these are the legacy of our national tragedies. 

We should not forget those who have been killed or the many who suffer from their loss.  We should remain vigilant against those who use violence to force their will on others.  But we should not wallow in grief.  We should not let hatred consume us.  We should not let fear steal our joy or dictate our behavior.  We must not let evil so cloud our lives that we lose sight of the light.

Christ Jesus is the light of heaven who banishes the darkness of sin.  He gave His life to make up for all the sins that cause grief, terrible acts that victimize us and the sins we commit that victimize others.  When His work of atonement was completed, Jesus rose from the dead, rose to help us deal with the pains of life, rose to assure us that the dead will live again at His command. 

Jesus died to forgive those who died in our national tragedies, as well as for those who caused them.  The Son of God wants you to let go of your anger and mistrust, your fear and despair.  He offers you help to forgive others as He has forgiven you; He wants to teach you how to show love and respect to everyone.  He offers you the peace of knowing that you are safe in the care of His holy angels; He comforts you with the certainty that His friends will live together forever despite the tragic interruption of death.  We have days that live in infamy, but thanks to Jesus they don’t have to drag us down.