Reflections Ten Years Later
This was my post last year on September 11. What do you think? How should Christians respond to this anniversary, especially those who live in America where this memory is so visceral and raw?
Where were you? What were you thinking on that day? How has your thinking changed over the course of the last ten years?
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Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom 12:17-21)
We should never forget what happened on 09/11/2001 but neither should we set ourselves to seek vengeance for those events. The Gospel is never proclaimed faithfully by someone with a sword in their hand or screaming in hatred or burning books. Our first and highest duty is to Christ and His Kingdom, not the national security of America. We as a family will remember 9/11 today, not as a call to vengeance but repentance. We will pray today for Muslims, that Christ will be shown to them in all His glory by the humble and meek witness of His followers. We will also pray for the repentance of those who call for the death of unbelievers and seek to supplant God as the dispenser of justice.
Winning the war on terror will not win a single soul for Jesus Christ.
My thinking hasn’t changed much on this matter. God wept that day. We were not created to treat each other badly. Forgiveness can be a long hard road; however, doing the work of forgiveness is important. We can forget that true justice is not always getting revenge, something bad happening to the offender, or punishment of some sort. True justice often lies in the fact that we forgave and so not let the offenders have power over our lives, emotions, thoughts, and souls. God’s justice is quite different than human justice. The cross is proof of that.