WHEN THE FOUNDATIONS SHAKE

Service after the Terrorist bombing on September 11, 2001

Matthew 13: 24-30

September 16, 2001

The United States experienced this past Tuesday morning an attack on our nation and peoples the likes we have seldom seen and felt before. We witnessed on television the massive destruction of four airliners filled with common citizens commandeered by terrorists for the purpose of turning them into missiles. We are not accustomed to those kinds of acts. Our freedom to travel and commercial aviation that we take for granted was turned against us. Not only were thousands of lives lost in indescribably horrible ways as well as billions of dollars in damage to buildings and businesses and government, but our nation was challenged, our freedoms challenged, our innocence about the world community in which we live deeply shaken. Our nation will no longer be the same; the way we travel will no longer be the same. The world community is no longer the same.

We experienced denial – this couldn’t be happening, this must be a bad dream, a movie. We experienced shock as the reality of the situation sank in – a group of men actually took over four airplanes and dove them into buildings. We have experienced anger and outrage, as is only normal and natural. We want revenge; our pent up emotions want to be focused on someone, some group, some nation. Our emotions cry for a response. We want to get even so they can’t do it again.

As citizens of the United States we gather here today to pray for and remember our fellow citizens who have died or lost loved ones. We pray for our President and government officials that they might make wise and careful decisions as to our responses; they have no easy task.

We are also here because of our common faith in God and in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. That makes us citizens of the Kingdom (Reign) of God. The question I have been asking myself this week has been: what is my response to this terrorist attack as a Christian? We clearly have the words of Jesus that talk about turning the other cheek, loving one’s enemies and praying for those who persecute us, and that those who pick up the sword will perish by the sword. Is our response to be one of meekly standing by and not doing anything? Allow us to be vulnerable for further attacks? I don’t think so. Whether it is parents towards children or adults working with troubled adults, tough love sets boundaries and limits. The other evening on television Kathy and I were listening to various people talking about the events; Maya Angelou commented that there is a big difference between revenge and justice. This type of injustice to humanity should not happen again, whether in the U.S. or in any other country. These people need to be stopped. An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, may be biblical but it is not the Spirit of Jesus. Innocent lives were destroyed here; does it further the cause for us to go in and destroy innocent lives in another country? What was striking and touching to me has been the world response to this crisis; nations all over the world came to a halt Friday as they paused in remembrance. This is not just an attack on the U.S. It is an attack on freedom and humanity in general; it is a global issue. Let us not stoop to the level of evil that has been expressed on us. What is our Christian response?

In the parable of the wheat and tares (weeds), the owner claims that an enemy has come in and planted weed seeds among the good wheat seeds. An evil act was done. President Bush proclaimed Tuesday that we have experienced evil. That is true. Evil is among us. We want to personify that evil so there is the temptation to look at every person with Middle East facial features who worships Allah and carry a Koran and blame them. The same tragic thing happened after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and in our fear put our innocent Japanese neighbors in internment camps. I hope we learned our lesson from that. But evil also lies close to home where people wearing crosses and calling on Jesus shout hate at blacks and Hispanics, who burn crosses on the lawns of neighbors and in other ways put down other nationalities or groups. Evil lies even within the homes of Christians. This parable fits more than I first thought since it appears that some of the 19 men who did this deed on Tuesday have been living in the U.S. for a while. There are many wonderful, caring and loving people in our community, nation and world. There are amazing countless deeds of compassion and affirmation that take place every day. Yet, within us is also the capacity to destroy.

The master in the parable told his workers not to try to pull the weeds at that time, but to wait until harvest. To try to pull the weeds, get rid of the evil in our midst, may be next to impossible. At times they look a lot alike; they can be confused. We will trample on the good wheat and possibly cause more harm than good. In our desire to get rid of evil, we may cause more harm. The parable is about the Kingdom of God and the final judgment. God is the final judge. In God’s wisdom and power, evil will be destroyed, eliminated eventually. Evil is only temporary though it may wreck havoc in its path. How we respond to the evil that breaks out in our midst is the measure of a Christian. If we return evil with revenge, then Satan has won; evil has multiplied. God’s redeeming love was not used.

Nor are the workers to stand idly by while the weeds grow among the wheat. As one author wrote about this parable, "We live in an imperfect world, and no human effort can eradicate that fact. But that was never our job anyway. We are given the task of living as faithfully and as obediently as possible, confident that the harvest is sure." (NIB) Our task as Christians is to understand our neighbor and come to see them as children of God, to have compassion for those in need and do what we can to help. Our task is to live the reality that all people are created in the image of God, so try to understand the people of Pakistan, to listen to the cries of Palestinians as well as Israelis, to hear the cries of our neighbors in Yakima who strike out in hurtful ways. Our task is to help feed the hungry, to stand up for those oppressed, to help families who don’t know how to communicate in positive and loving ways, to offers ways in which people can achieve self esteem and respect and feel they are part of the community. Our task is to share the love of God that we have experienced in Jesus Christ that is stronger than evil, the only power that can overcome hatred and fear, the One who can bring wholeness in the midst of brokenness and peace where there is chaos.

You can’t reason with a terrorist who believes he is doing God’s will. You can, however, help to create a community in which terrorists aren’t needed.